Growing Population
by cgaussie
Summary: Third Installment of the Epic Tales of myself and Invader Poe's world! Cten and Poe... ahem get close ending up with Zib getting a new playmate!
1. Chapter 1

Growing Population  
Epic Three  
Written by Cartman's Girl and Invader Poe  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter One  
  
Now I'm sure you're all wondering what's happening, or what happened with Zim and Zib? No? Too bad! Here comes stuff about em!  
  
Meanwhile whist all of this is happening, Zib was still in the thralls of a giggle fit as Zim gave him some new clothes, and had been since they left the base, much to Zim's annoyance. Zim scowled as the two walked along, and he glared at Zib.  
  
"What is wrong with you?" Zib giggled, looking up at his Mom,  
  
"Didn't you seee them? They were all mushy-like!" Zim stared at Zib for a while,  
  
"Zib please..." Zim rolled his eyes, "You're being silly."  
  
"Ms. Cten told me she liked Poe a _lot_," He announced to his mother - well, hey, she had only made him promise not to tell _Poe_, right? Zib recalled something he saw on TV, and asked innocently,  
  
"Does that mean there'll be kids I can play with soon?" Zim stops walking and stared at Zib blankly, freezed to the spot.  
  
"....she WHAT?! Wh-what do you mean the... KIDS!?"  
  
"Yup!" Zib confirmed, "The TV said that when two people love each other very much, they have kids!" He looked slightly puzzled at Zim, "Does that mean you'n Dad love-ed each other?" Zim stares at Zib for a while, a little too shocked to answer right away.  
  
"Whua ba..... no! No, we did _not_ love each other!" He didn't expect to be asked that question, that's for sure. Zib giggled, amused at his mom's reaction,  
  
"Oh well. I bet _they_ do."  
  
"Bah!" Zim waved a hand through the air, "Love is not a thing we Irkens pride ourselves on. Stupid emotions..." he blinked, then glanced back where they'd came from. "Still it'd explain a lot." Zib looked back as well,  
  
"Like what, Mom?" Zim narrowed one eye,  
  
"Why'd she allow a Reject to live with her... and doing what she did today... _friendship_ is obviously leading somewhere... as you said." Zib grinned widely up at Zim,  
  
"Does that mean I'll finally have someone 'sides Gir to play with?" Zim scowled at Zib, as he continued walking again.  
  
"Most probably…" Zib ran after his mom, his giggles returning as he cheered,  
  
"Yay!" Zim just muttered a blan 'yay' as he continued walking. Never in all his born days he'd think he'd witness a soilder as fine as Cten - who risked her life mind - fall in this 'love' with a Reject, since a Reject is well... a Reject.  
  
"Disgraceful." he muttered more to himself. Zib's coat dragged along the ground as he waited up for his Mom,  
  
"Aw, I think it's cute!" Zim continued walking until they finally arrived at the base, their base, and opened the door.  
  
"Cute has nothing to do with it! Imagine, a soilder reproducing with a Reject! The Tallest would have a Squeedly Spooch attack!"  
  
"It's not all that much weirder than you and Dad, though, is it?" Zib wondered at Zim as he crossed the base's threshold.  
  
"That was an accident, this is on purpose!" Zim closed the door after him, being greeted by Gir.  
  
"Hi!" he squealed at the two of em, "Whatta bring me??"  
  
"Nothing Gir." Zim snapped back,  
  
"Awww!" Meanwhile, Zib blinked up at Zim and frowned,  
  
"I.. I was an accident?" He sounded hurt. Aw! Zim stared at Zib for a while,  
  
"What, do you think I'd actually want to have you around? The cloning was meant to be a thing of beauty! Mini Me's! But Dib intervened and because of HIM, you came to be. And my machine was destoryed the same time." he folded his arms, "There. You know now." Zib stared at Zim in horror,  
  
"But.. but.." He sniffled, then suddenly ran into the house, bawling loudly. Zim watched him go, then looked at Gir blankly.  
  
"What, what'd I say?" Gir shrugged, since he wouldn't really understand cause he was created anyway. Zib had leapt onto the couch and stuffed himself in the crook of the arm and backing, curled up and sobbing loudly. Zim sighed loudly and walked over to the couch, leaning on one of the arms.  
  
"Just stop your leaking already Zib, it's the truth! And the truth hurts." Gir walked up to the sofa along with Zim, and climbed on and nestled and stared at Zib. Zib sniffled raggedly, looking up at them with such pathetic-ness that it might even melt Zim's cold heart - though that's a _big_ maybe.  
  
"B-but..." He sniffle-snerked loudly, "You don't want me?"  
  
"Don't be silly Zib," Zim waved a hand, showing no affect of the ultra-cuteness that is Zib. "Of course I want you now. Tallest knows this base didn't have enough chaos around here before you came to be. At least Gir's got someone to spend time with now."  
  
"Yuh-uh!" Gir nodded quickly.  
  
"And I... admit life would be pretty... urhm, eh, bad if you did leave." Zib sniffed hopefully,  
  
"R-really?" He took off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes with his gloves.  
  
"...yes, really." Zim folded his arms on the arm rest and leaned in, looking at Zib. "Being a fine Invader, I am not prone to show my emotions in fear of having a fault found out; but you can rest assured Zib, I..." he trails off, frowns slightly showing he's having difficulties with saying this. "I.... I really _reeeallly_ care about you." Zib was under no such emotional restraints, sniffling quietly before breaking out into a grin and suddenly latching onto Zim's midsection, hugging him tightly,  
  
"I love you too, Mom," he giggled slightly. The look on Zim's face clearly reads he's about to go into his usual frenzy of 'no huggies' at Zib, but his shoulders slump. He looks around, to make sure, oh I dunno, if anyone's watchimg. Then he hugs Zib back, kinda half-heartidly but hey, it's Zim we're talking about. Zib clings onto his mom happily, not too dissimular to how Zim glomped onto the cold unfeeling robot arm, but he finally let go and dropped back onto the couch, letting Zim breath again. Zim let out a breath, and fixed his antennae back.  
  
"So, Zib... now what?"  
  
"Aw, alright." Zib decided to think of something else to be nosy about, and Zim should thank his lucky stars that he'd narrowly avoided the inevitable 'How are babies made?' question, having given Zib the idea that all reproduction took place in the manner of his creation.  
  
"What was that mess all over Ms. Cten's living room carpet?" Zim bit his lower lip, hrm, he didn't expect that question.  
  
"Uh, you see Zib... Cten was attacked there, and... that was her blood mixed with the petrol that helps our Irken ID Pods to function." he pointed back to his, "So her Pod was wrecked and it leaked, see?" Zib made a face,  
  
"That was blood? Ew.." He squirmed, "I guess she was okay, though, huh?"  
  
"Oh yes, thanks to my _spectacular_ Fixer-Machines aiding hers, she's all right." Gir fell off the couch, snoring. Zib winced when Gir clattered to the ground,  
  
"Doesn't blood have all kinds of icky.. germy.. cootie things in it?" He looked up at Zim, knowing how much Mom hated those. Zim shuddered slightly,  
  
"Yes, exactly... that's why I didn't want you stepping in it and getting germy... germs stuck on your shoes." he glanced at Gir who was snoring loudly.  
  
"Oh.. because there was a bunch of it on the doorway too." Zib looked down at his boots, which were mostly unsoiled, but those bootprints had been a good deal larger than either his or Zim's feet. Zim blinked, then looked aghast at the door way. He snarled, and made his little paniky noises.

"That… that Reject got _blood_ all over my door step!! Erugh!"   
  
"Oh, Poe was here again? I thought I saw him earlier, but I can't remember the last few hours that well.." Zib took off his boots and examined the soles of them curiously, maybe having inherited some of his mom's germ-o-phobia.  
  
"Eh, I'd be surprised if you could remember suckling my finger the way you did." Zim stared at his finger, frowning at first. His expression softened slightly, wrapping his other hand around the finger. "...uh yes, the Reject was here because he had to alert me to Cten's situation."  
  
"I still don't get what happened," Zib grumbled, "I remember.. uh.. being in your lab.." he coughed and glanced downwards, realizing he was going to have to confess to what Zim knew already, "And I saw this X on the floor.."  
  
"And you messed with something I specifically told you not to, and you managed to make my age manipulator laser work on you, thus making you a smaller spawn clone thingie then you already are." Zim scowled at Zib, folding his arms. "It's a good thing you had your cute looks about you Zib, and that I managed to have Cten fill me in on information for rearing a spawn so small. But I hope this teaches you never to mess in my labs again, understood?" he leaned forward, frowning down at Zib. Zib stared at his lap guiltily and crossed his feet together, twiddling his thumbs.  
  
"O-kay," he sighed, antennae-dash-hair drooping, "I promise I won't." Zim nodded sharply, glad to know he'd gotten through to his offspring, well, Zib was kinda his offspring.  
  
"Good!" Zib pondered something, and wondered something in a more Dibbish manner,  
  
"..though, doesn't the fact I could operate advanced alien technology at my age count for something?" Zim's antennae quirked.

"Well... what with my superior intelect going into your genetic make up, I'm not surprised you know how to operate such vast technology." he pointed his finger at Zib again, "But don't ever even try to do it again without me there."  
  
"Aw, alright." Zib pushed his glasses back up into place, "When will I be old 'nuff to mess with stuff on my own?"  
  
"When I tell you you're old enough." Zim snapped back, "That's when." Zib scowled at the floor and swung his feet. That day might come sooner than Zim had anticipated, as Zib was maturing much faster than a 'normal' Irken, being half human and all. Zim seemed to take note of this and just stared at Zib for a while. After a day like this, getting semi-attached to his baby form, he only did now take into consideration Zib's height had increased slightly.  
  
"...just don't grow too quickly."  
  
"It's not like it's something I have control over," Zib said, slightly sarcastic, "I wanna be older! Being a little kid sucks. I can't do _anything_," He pouted at the floor.  
  
"Ah Zib, you remind me of me... when I was still a trainee there was nothing I wanted to be more then a great Invader," he placed a hand to his chest, "To be able to do what I wanted and not be spoke down to by anybody...." he trailed off,  
  
"Really?" Zim looked up at him in admiration, that Zim could identify with him and all, Zim looked to Zib.  
  
"Bah, let's stop this silly memory fishing thing..." Zib's face took on a wistful look,  
  
"I wonder if I'll get to be what I wanna be.." Zim raied an eyebrow,  
  
"And what do you want to be?"  
  
"Paranormal investigator like Dad!" Zib said eagerly, nearly jumping to his feet.  
  
"...oh." Zim's shoulders slumped slightly, but he snapped back to his normal, er, Zimmy stance. "Bah! Ludirous career."  
  
"Just think, if I managed to figure out all the things just beyond human science, I could, I could.." He trailed off, looking thoughtful, or as thoughtful as a 7 'year' old spawn-thinge could.  
  
"You could what," Zim put on a goofy voice and face, "Rule their silly Paranormal Investigator Secret Agents?"  
  
"Noo, don't be silly!" He turned to the side and clenched his fist, definately resembling his mom as he spoke, "I could rule the world!"  
  
"Awwww...!" Zim lost it for a bit, and pulled Zib into a hug all of a sudden. "That's my boy!" Zib looked surprised, then giggled slightly and squirmed,  
  
"Aw, Mom.."  
  
"I knew I had rubbed off on you somewhere!" Zim held him there, acting a tad more Motherly then he usually did, "And Dib says you're more like him then me, hah!" Zib covered his mouth to restrain his giggling,  
  
"Wouldn't it be neat? I could eat all the junk food I want an' control what was on TV and everything!" Well... Zimmy or not, he was still a little kid. Zim then hefted Zib up into the air, holding him somewhat above him,  
  
"Yes you will! You'll show the pathetic human race who's the better species in the galaxy!"  
  
"Yeah!" Zib grinned and raised his tiny fists, "Horray for conquest!" Hm, maybe living exclusively with Zim was starting to affect the young spawn.  
  
"We'll reign doom down on them all!" Zim declared, lowering Zib back to the ground, hugging him again. "Horray for conquest times ten!" Zib clung onto Zim and giggled to himself, then looked up at him with big eyes,  
  
"You an' me together, right Mom?"  
  
"Of course! We'll make the Tallest proud of us both!" Zim chuckled, "Then I'll show em for those short comments."  
  
"Yeah! I don't get why they're so special anyway," Zib snorted, despite not having a nose.  
  
"Height is everything." Zim said simply, "But we'll show em!" Zim stood tall, er, well as tall as he could anyway.  
  
"Yeah, but," Zib scratched his hair curiously, "That Reject's Taller'en all of us." 'Us' meaning Zib's strange, extended family.  
  
"...ah, well, that doesn't matter. He's a Reject." Zim pointed out simply.  
  
"Oh," A look of confusion crossed Zib's face, not quite grasping that logic but accepting it anyway, "I wonder how tall I'll get!"  
  
"Well let's hope for your sake you got your Father's genetics of height." Zim didn't specifically like the idea of Zib being short and being made fun of how he always had been, but still the idea of his own spawn looming over him wasn't very calming either. Zib nodded slightly, a yawn escaping despite himself. It had been a semi-stressful day, afterall, turning into a baby, being carted around town, and turning back again, and all.  
  
"I think it's time for someone to be in bed." Zim smirked, folding his arms.  
  
"Wah?! Nu-uh, I'm just.. my mouth needed to be stretched. Yeah!" Zib looked around.  
  
"Don't lie to your Mother." Zim smirked, actually kinda enjoying being Zib's Mom all of a sudden, then took his hand. "C'mon, you can skip your bath tonight."  
  
"Aw.." He slid off the couch, though his scythe-hair-antennae perked at the last part, "I can?" He asked hopefully.  
  
"Yes, but only this once." Zim held a finger up to make his point, "Okay?"  
  
"Oh, alright," He grinned slightly, and started towards the elevator that lead to the attic-dash-Zib's room. Soon enough he was in his PJ's and in bed. Zim, despite himself pulled the blankets up to Zib's chest, then his foot hit something. He looked at the floor, then picked up the book Cten had given Zib.  
  
"Eh, what's this?" Zib snuggled into his bed and yawned again, then looked over at the book,

"Oh, Ms. Cten gave that to me last night instead of reading me a story." Zim looked over the book and opened it, it was written in Irken so he could at least read the stories listed in.  
  
"Heh... Big Bad Blorchian and the Three Irkens, I remember that one.." he then blinked, looking at Zib, then the book again. "....want me to read one?" He took off his glasses and blinked at Zim's now blobby, blurry green form. A small smile crept onto Zib's face,  
  
"You would? You said I was getting too big to be read bedtime stories anymore.."  
  
"Ah, why not..." Zim sat down on the bed, hauling the book onto his lap, "Bring back memories of my hathlinghood while having Mother-Spawn moments.." Zib smiled more widely and snuggled up to Zim's side,  
  
"Which one are you gonna read?"  
  
"Well lemme see... Little Red Jacker, Big Bad Blorchian and the Three Irkens, MeekrobThumb..." he decided on the middle one, and began reading to Zib, not being able to help himself but smile as he remembered the Nurses in the Nest, who used to read them to the Hatchling Group he had been in, even going as far as doing the 'voices' of the Blorchian and the Irkens included. Zib listened intently, giggling now and then, but eventually sleep overtook him, and soon enough he was snoring softly against his Mom's side. Aww!  
  
"...the end." Zim closed the book and set it to the side, then looked down at Zib. He glanced around, then laid down besides him, pulling the small spawn closer to him, and eventually fell asleep himself.  
  
Now can't ya just feel your eyes bleed at the cute factor? Zib smiled in his sleep and curled up with his mom. Yup, definately some hemorraging going on.. Mayhaps we should fast-forward to the morning? Good thinking! Fast-Forward to the morning, but which base shall we awaken with first, Zim or Cten's? Behold, Cten's base!  
  
Dawn broke over the nameless town.. city.. thingee that was home to three aliens and one human-alien hybrid spawn. Poe was the first one to wake up, use to waking up early, blinking a few times as he recalled where he was; he was use to sleeping in his tree, or somewhere equally uncivilized. The sleep gone from his eyes, he blinked down at the naked female snuggled up to him, and flushed, but smiled, watching her sleep.  
  
Cten was still fast asleep, her body needing the rest to help fix it's stitching quicker, since Irken anatomy was known for healing quickly. She had brought her knees up near her chest in the night, but her arm was still draped over Poe, as if knowing he was still there comforted her a lot. Her antennae swayed slightly as she breathed gently.  
  
Poe reached over tentatively and started to stroke her antennae, running his hand down its length and sliding it between his knuckles. He leaned down and kissed her temple, hugging her close and rather enjoying her proximity. She sighed in her sleep, feeling his hand run over her antennae, tilting her head to the side.

"Mm..." she murmered in her sleep as he kissed her forehead. She moved over closer to him, her arm tightening slightly, tugging at his shirt.   
  
Poe squeezed Cten with his free arm, glancing over at her antennae slightly before turning his head and bringing the curled tip, wrapped around his finger again, up to his lips and kissing it softly. This caused her body to tingle, and her eyes blinked open and she looked up at him sleepily, then smiled. Not saying anything, she lifted her hand up and twirled her finger around his own antennae's tip, she ran it through her fingers before cheekily kissed it, but held it in her mouth. Poe blinked in surprise, shivering slightly as well and looking down at her,  
  
"Well, good morning," He purred, nuzzling up and down her antennae. She smiled, still holding his antennae in her mouth.  
  
"Mornen." she mumbled, keeping it still in her mouth.  
  
"Hm.." Poe continued to run his lips and the area of his would-be nose down the length of her antennae, until the former parted, and he took the 'joint' of her antennae between his teeth and biting down gently, the pointy tips sparking non-painful pricks of sensation.  
  
"Ooohh," Cten released his antennae as the sensation ran down her spine, never really having that happen to her antennae before it was not only very surprising but very sensual as well. She ran her other arm up around him and held onto him.  
  
Poe grinned at the corner of his mouth and held onto her, his long, pointed tongue sliding forward and winding around it as well. Breathing heavily now, Cten made a slight whimpering noise as Poe's tongue wrapped around her antennae, but kept his teeth on her joint. Her other antennae was somewhat withering and was now laid flat against her head, tingling now and again.  
  
Poe held her shoulders with one arm, reaching up with the other and stroking the back of his claw along the withered antennae, breathing warmly on the other as he slid it along through his teeth and tongue, like a sort of, er, sensual flossing.   
  
The withered antennae, in responce wraps around a few of his fingers. The one currently in his mouth has become very soft and flexible, very different to it's normal stiff-like apperance. Cten's obviously enjoying this as she holds onto him, now and then letting at least a few of her muffled moans escape. Poe closed his eyes tightly and leaned over her as he neared the tip of her antennae, letting it slide out of his mouth and drop. He leaned his head back and grinned down at her slightly teasingly,  
  
"Now, how about I go downstairs and see if I can find Beka to help make breakfast in bed for you?" The thought of Poe being unassisted in the kitchen was probably frightening. Cten sighed in delight as her antennae slipped out of his mouth and she looked up at him sleepily,  
  
"Well... if you really want to... Beka'd appreciate the help..." she snuggled against him. Poe smiled, squeezing her warmly before letting go with some hesitation,  
  
"I'll be right back. Any requests?" "Toast? Well, okay, as long as there's cinnamon.." She shook her head as she laid down on the bed again, pulling the blanket up to her chest.  
  
"Anything you give me is fine, Poe." Poe grinned widely and slid off the bed, "Well, so long as Beka helps me, I don't think you'd appreciate a burnt mess." He started towards the door, pausing by his discarded clothes, but saw no reason to put on his gloves, boots or coat again, so he went out the door.  
  
Cten rolled onto her back, blinked in surprise. She sat up and felt her back, she could feel the scars but no pain. She sighed happily and rolled back onto the bed.  
  
[To be continued!]


	2. Chapter 2

Growing Population  
Epic Three  
Written by Cartman's Girl and Invader Poe  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Meanwhile, all the way across town, another pair is waking up! Zib, being a little kid and therefore more energetic than Zim, yawned and snuggled up to his mom as he started to awaken. Zim was still fast asleep too, tongue hanging out his mouth and breathing heavily. He shifted as he felt the small person clone thingie besides him moving. Zib slowly blinked awake and smiled up at his mom, but his patience was quickly running out, and he nudged Zim in the side.  
  
"It's morning, mom!" Zim 'eehed' a bit, then his eyes slowly opened.  
  
"Uh....?" he sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes with one claw. Zib sat up, looking down at Zim and giggling a bit, pointing out the round window that could be materalized at will on the attic wall at the rising sun. Zim's eyes squinted at the sun light,  
  
"Argh!" he covered his eyes, then remembered where he was. "Ah.... morning... Zib jumped out of bed and tugged on Zim's gloved claws,  
  
"I'm hungry! Can we have breakfast?" Zim rubbed his eyes with his free claw, not being a morning Irk it tok him a while to snap awake.  
  
"Huh, oh... yes!" he got off the bed, "Breakfast, breakfast..."  
  
"Yay!" Zib cheered and ran towards the door, quickly pressing the button to open it and probably leaving Zim wondering where he got so much energy this early in the morning. Yup, Zim was thinking that at the moment. But eventually he and Zib were down in the kitchen, and he was looking through the cupboards for something edible. Meaning something Zib would at least like.  
  
"Hrm.." Zib climbed up onto his chair and looked over at Zim in the fridge, blinking slightly,  
  
"Aren't you gonna replicate me some of that Irken nutrient goo like you always do?" Zim blinked, looking up at Zib from the fridge.  
  
"Yes well.... uh, I thought... I'd try something you liked... yeah." he went back to scavaging the cupboard. Gir then entered the room, and looked at Zib in his chair.   
  
"Morning Mini-Master!" he declared, then to his Master's, er, butt which was the only thing he could see from his point of view. "Morning Master's Bottom!" Zib broke out into a grin and twiddled his thumbs on the table, swinging his legs,  
  
"Hi Gir!" He certainly seemed chipper today; amazing what a little motherly love could do. Gir hopped onto the table and sat down near Zib,  
  
"What's ya doin?" he asked as Zim sniffed, er, well hovered one antennae over the milk, realising it was off he looked some what disgusted.  
  
"Mom's gonna make us breakfast!" Zib announced, and leaned over to Gir, whispering conspiritorially, "The good stuff, not the goo he usually serves."  
  
"OoooOOooo!" Gir's eyecams brightened, and he clapped his hands together. "Yay!" Zim finally pulled out what looked like bread from the fridge,  
  
"Er, how about toast?"  
  
"Toast? Well, okay, as long as there's cinnamon.."  
  
"Ehrm, I don't know about this cinnamon..." Zim went to the toaster and put the bread in.  
  
"It's good! Especially if it's got lots of sugar in it!" Woo, that was the last thing Zib needed. Zim stared at Zib blankly,  
  
"Sugar!" Gir declared happily.  
  
"I haven't got one kid... I've got two." Zim muttered to himself as the toast popped up, and he put more bread in as he placed the toast on a plate.  
  
"And sprinkles!" Zib added, squirming in his seat impatiently. Zim looked somewhat disgusted as he managed to find at least jam in his cupboard hadn't gone off, and spread it over a few slices.  
  
"I don't think that qualifies as a healthy breakfast, Zib."  
  
"Aw, but I'm plenty healthy!" Zib grinned, showing off his off-white, yellowed teeth; and with his heritage it was almost impossible to tell if that was healthy or not.  
  
"...I don't want you being hyper all morning." Zim replied, handing Zib the toast, which had jam, peanut butter and normal butter on. Gir took the one which had peanut butter on.  
  
"Yum!"  
  
"I'm not hyper at all!" Zib insisted, though he was practically vibrating in his seat with energy.  
  
"Either way, no sprinkles on toast." Zim held the toast which had jam out to him, "Here." Zib yanked the toast out of Zim's gloved claws and stuffed it in his mouth, nearly all at once, getting far more jelly on his face than in his stomach. Zim's tongue poked out in disgust at his 'sons' eating habits, and was quick to wipe his face with a napkin, tsking about germs and so forth. Zib made a face and squirmed,  
  
"Mom, stoppit! I'm fine!"  
  
"No you're not fine, you're a jelly mess!" Zim stood back, finished with cleaning Zib's face. He looked him over slightly. "Eh, it'll have to do."  
  
"What's wrong with being a mess? It's fun!" Zib countered, rubbing off his face with his sleeve. Zim rolled his eyes,  
  
"We've been through this Zib, it's full of germs! And with your bacteria fighting inside thingie.. what's it called.... imunisation thingie half human I don't want you getting sick!" Zim replied, saying in his own way again, he did care for Zib after all.  
  
"Bah, germs aren't that scary. They're tiny!" Zib made squishing motions between his claw and thumb, illustrating how he could easily crush such a tiny foe.  
  
"Small as they may be," Zim folded his arms, "In great numbers they'll make you sick! SICK!"  
  
"But wouldn't my half-humanness protect me from Earth germs?" Zib blinked up at Zim from behind his glasses, his scientific brain already starting to make itself apparent.  
  
True, but how could you handle _Irken_ diseases? Huh? Answer me that!" Zim pointed at Zib's face, "You have no idea how diabolical the diseases are that I'm vaccinated against and which you might still be open to!"  
  
"Where would I get Irken diseases on Earth?" His face twisted into a skeptical, Dib-like scowl. Zim paused for a while.  
  
"...you interact with the Reject don't you? He probably never got vaccinated against anything!"  
  
"But wouldn't I have caught anything I could catch from him by now?"  
  
"You don't know the way Irken diseases work." Zim walked up to Zib, wiggling his fingers as he spoke. "First they enter your body, and seep down into your system. They lay dormant for a while, and then they're triggered by simplest things! Then they unleash their doomful wrath down upon your head like there's no tomorrow! And you'd be lucky if you _HAD_ a tomorrow!" Zib looked down in thought,  
  
"Well, if that was so, wouldn't some kind of medical.. scan thingee detect it?"  
  
"With your Irken/human inner body working system thingie, I think it'd be very difficult to detect. The human parts mide hide the Irken diseases, and vice versa and such." Zim replied, raising an antennae as he thought it over.  
  
"Hide them, or defend against them?" Maybe it was a little odd for a toddler to be engaging in a somewhat serious, somewhat scientific debate with his alien mother, but screw technicalities.  
  
"...well Irken diseases, few as they are, have the same thing in common. They rip your organs to pieces, so either way, if you got em, you'd be toast." Zim replied simply. Zib folded his antennae back, starting to look a bit scared now.  
  
"I like my insides the way they are.."  
  
"Well Irken diseases care not if you like them or not!" Zim made his fingers make 'snappy' movements. "They're hungry and they won't end until they finish you off, inside out!" he stopped. "So yup, it's important to be vaccinated against those things."  
  
"So there's no way to stop them?" Zib looked up in disbelief.  
  
"That's what I've been talking about Zib, _vaccination_. No way your human/Irken immune system could handle Irken diseases alone, so that's why you need it." he replied, not taking note of the fear in Zib's voice.  
  
"But aren't vaccinations.. like.." Zib gulped and sunk further into his seat, "..needles?" Zim scoffed,  
  
"Huh, needles. Humans are barbaric creatures infestering the universe." Zim shook his head, "No Zib, Irken vaccinations aren't like human ones." Zib relaxed visibly, then quirked one of his eyelids,  
  
"..what're they like, then?" Zim paused to think back,  
  
"Ah yes. The vaccines are downloaded into your pod via tubes, then you have to swallow this little icky tablet thing…" he made the shape of it with his finger and what seemed to be this thumb.

  
"Well, I guess that's not so bad.." He had practice swallowing nasty stuff from the food pouches Zim gave him, afterall. He eyed the slight mess on the table and edged his chair away from it, now.  
  
"Exactly." Zim then lowered an antennae, "SO, do you want to be vaccinated?"  
  
"Well.. ehm.. I guess.." Zib drummed his claw tips together, "I certainly don't want to be eaten inside out.."  
  
"It must have skipped my mind when you were, uh, spawned to do it right then... right then!" Zim grabbed Zib's wrist and pulled him to his feet.  
  
"I think you were distracted by fighting with Dad," Zib snorted and muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes when Zim was looking away, following him. And back across town, at the other base, Beka was sipping what looked like motor oil as Poe entered.  
  
"Morning Sir Poe!" she said happily, "Sleep well?"  
  
"Morning. Oh, yeah," Poe grinned widely in response to Beka, seeming far cheerier and upbeat than she'd likely ever seen him, "I was just about to get Cten some breakfast, but, um.. my cooking skills are less than adequate." Beka placed her cup of motor oil to the side.  
  
"Well, usually for Ma'am I prepare just some oatmeal and some orange juice." the little robot paused to think for a while, "You could make the orange juice if you wish."  
  
"Hm, alrighty..." He looked around for a while, finally finding the oranges, and after some searching he found something that could be an Irken version of a juicer. He eyed the orange before stabbing it with his claw and sawing it down the middle; cutlery might be the only thing he could do well in the kitchen. He impaled the orange on the juicer and smooshed it around, "Does she like it with the.. sticky.. stringy stuff or without?"   
  
"With." Beka replied as she stired the bowl which had the oatmeal in, then poured in what looked like golden syrup. "And what would you like, Sir Poe?" the robot looked up at him as she continued to stir.  
  
"Hm, um.." He turned the top of the juicer over and scraped off the pulp, "Back home, I usually had, uh.. I guess you could call it bacon and sausage." Well, there weren't too many resteraunts in the slums, and pretty much all one had to pick from was the trash or wildlife.  
  
"Right then!" Beka poured the oatmeal into a bowl and placed it to the side. Then then proceeded to pull out bacon, and a few sausages from the fridge and cook them on the stove in a frying pan which came from inside her head.  
  
Soon enough, Poe was handed the tray from Beka which held both his, and Cten's breakfast on. Poe nodded a thanks to the robot and started up the stairs, balancing the food carefully. He opened the door with his foot, leaning against it and grinning slightly as he entered, wandering over and sitting down on the bed. Cten's antennae twitched as the door opened, and her eyes opened as he approached the bed. When Poe sat down, she sat up on the bed.   
  
"Oo, breakfast in bed..."  
  
"Yup. Just for you," He grinned toothily, picking up his own plate and holding it off the bed, picking up a piece of bacon and ripping it in half with his teeth. Cten took her bowl off him and spooned some of the oatmeal into her mouth. Eating much quicker then Poe'd beleive she would, I suppose living in the Massive all her life taught her to eat quickly so she wouldn't waste precious time; and by now it was just out of habit. Soon enough the bowl was empty, and she was sipping at her orange juice. Poe raised his eyelids slightly, finishing his breakfast off at a more relaxed pace; he'd slowly lost his urge to binge quickly after he came to Earth and was introduced to civillized living.  
  
"Hungry?" He grinned slightly, a bit of sausage sticking out between his teeth.   
  
"U-huh." she replied, then smirked at the sausage. "Uhm, Poe.." she leant forward and flicked it out from between two of his sharp teeth. "There."  
  
"Huhwah?" Poe crossed his eyes slightly, "Hey, I was saving that for later." He made a face at her, putting down his own emptied tray and scooting up to her side.  
  
"I'm sure you were." she teased, before flicking the sausage away from her. Once Poe was besides her, she leant her head against his shoulder while staring at the wall opposite them. "Hmm." Poe smiled down at her and leaned his cheek against the top of her head, putting his arm around her shoulders. Cten closed her eyes for a while, then opened them.  
  
"Poe, I've got a question for you, but you don't have to answer it."  
  
"Hm?" He looked down at her and smiled gently, "Ask away." Cten bit her lower lip, then looked up at him.  
  
"Have you ever... you know, uh, reproduced with anyone?" she then spoke quickly, glancing away. "You don't have to answer I'm just wondering and before you ask, no I haven't." Poe blinked several times at the question,  
  
"Well, a few people have tried to pay me, something about my antennae.." He scowled, then shook his head, "But no, you're the first person I've gotten close to."  
  
"...oh, okay..." she replied quietly, pulling the blanked up over her lower half since so far she'd been just sat on the bed.  
  
"Why do you ask?" He asked gently, running a finger down one of her antennae. Cten blushed slightly as he asked, then glanced up at him.  
  
"I was just wondering that... that maybe we.. I mean..." she wasn't really sure how to put this, or say it since she'd never experienced this before. "...sometime we could... you know..." Poe flushed a bit as well,  
  
"Already? I mean.. I'm not even.." He glanced away in embaressment, "I don't know a whole lot about the subject.." Not like he'd ever attended a Sex Ed class, afterall.  
  
"Well… I don't either…" being a maid, she probably hadn't been expected to ever reproduce either way. "But… but I heard sometimes instincts kick in at some point but…" she trailed off, looking at her claw. Poe's claw-tip left her antennae and continued down her back.  
  
"I can.. see what you mean about instinct kicking in," he said after a while, "Like last night, on the couch.."  
  
"Yeah..." she mumbled, then looked up at him. "Look, we don't really have to you know... when you feel more comfortable with me then.. then sure..." Poe wrapped his arms around her shoulders, looking back down at her,  
  
"It's up to you. You would be the one with the egg afterall.."  
  
"I know," she replied, running one of her clawed finger down Poe's grey shirt absently. Poe looked down at her and arched his shoulder, squirming slightly,  
  
"Hey, that tickles." Cten smiled, resting her claw on the bed.  
  
"Sorry." She smiled, then sat back and looked at him. "Now, uh, seriously Poe.. you being male you do have the final say here." Well, at least that's what she had been brought up to believe anway. Poe reached over and curled his claws around her's,   
  
"Well, just because I'm a male doesn't mean I'm not a gentleman.." He grinned, showing a few teeth, then took on a more serious look, "That, and.. Well, you've still got your injury, I wouldn't want to hurt you further by accident.." Cten smiled gently, her curled antennae becoming more relaxed slightly since they'd been tensed up beforehand.  
  
"My injury's fine now... the rest I had helped and it doesn't hurt anymore... you know how quick we Irkens heal after being injured." she replied.  
  
"Oh, well, that's good.." Poe flushed slightly, loosing his only real excuse to not, ahem, with her. He leaned against her side and took one of her relaxed antennae between his fingers, stroking it between them softly, "And I didn't say I _minded_ being tickled," He smirked at her slightly, with maybe a hint of playfulness. Cten smirked, then went one step further and slid one of her hands up and under his shirt and proceeded to trace her claw tip over his chest while just grinning up at him. Poe blinks in slight surprise, his eyes looking slightly glazed when he opened them again, halfway. He absently hugged her around the waist, pulling her towards him and resting his chin on her head. Cten giggled slightly as her finger continued to say, dance over his chest before she sat up, startling Poe somewhat.  
  
"I'll say this much," she smirked as she began pulling at the hem of his shirt, "I'm not going to be the only Irken here in her birthday suit." and before Poe could reply, he found Cten had pulled his shirt up and over his head, the hole where his ID Pack was opening to get the shirt over without bothering the pack at all.   
  
"Hey--!" His protest was muffled by cloth, and he let go of her, then yanked himself out of the shirt, blinking dazedly and shaking his long antennae free, sending the rings jangling. Years of a difficult life had made him rather thin, but well toned - he had to be, to carry her around and all - and he mock-scowled down at her, leaning over her and resting his claws on the bed, one on each of her sides, "That was just evil." Cten smirked at him, her antennae wiggling in response.  
  
"I know, I'm not all cookies and cream you know." she replied.  
  
"No?" He grinned, looking fairly evil himself, with his black eyes and pointy teeth and all, "Then why.." He leaned down and slid his tongue out, lashing it against her throat briefly, "..do you taste so good?" Cten smirked,  
  
"Oh you know what I mean." she replied as she wrapped her arms up around his shoulders, and as one of her clawed feet gripped around one of his pant legs and pulled sharply. Poe blinked as his uniform pants were suddenly around his knees, and he started to flush, his cheeks an interesting violet colour, his shyness kicking in again now that he was rendered nude. He looked down at her with a slightly sheepish expression. Cten looked back at him, her antennae faltering as she sensed how his mood had suddenly shifted from one to another. She blinked a few times, it seemed instincts had taken a vacation at the wrong time.  
  
"..sorry." she muttered after a short minute or so of silence between the two had passed.  
  
"I've just, uh.. Never been out of uniform.. around someone else before.." he mumbled, reaching up and scratching the back of his head, feeling very, well, naked. "It's alright, I mean, um, well." So much for his bravado, seemed he still wasn't much more than a fumbling teenage virgin afterall. Cten sighed to herself,  
  
"Guess this'll happen some other time huh?" she asked. Poe frowned when she sighed,  
  
"Well.." He set a determined look on his face and suddenly kicked off his pants, "Don't be too certain.." He mumbled quietly, instinct starting to overtake the sudden burst of shyness, as was sort of - ahem - becoming obvious. Cten's antennae perked up somewhat, she then leant into him and kissed him gently on the cheek as her eyes shut.  
  
"Whenever you're ready Poe." she said gently. Poe wrapped his arms beneath her and nuzzled a convient antennae,  
  
"I am," he half whispered, half mumbled into it, "Are you?"  
  
"Yes." Cten whispered back, keeping her arms around his shoulders, half resting them on his pod while one hand had managed to wring a claw tip around one of his long antennae. Poe squeezed her claw tip with his antennae, the other antennae leaning forward to wind around her's, and he tilted his head to give her the oral version of a kiss as well.. and thus, we fade out! Hah, no Irken pRon 4r j00! Anyway, back with Zim and Zib about Zib's vaccinations. Soon the two were down in Zim's lab, and he was sorting through what looked like a normal human first aid kit, but he was throwing more grotesque devices from it, Zib was obviously glad he had no idea what they were used for from the look on his face as what looked like a large needle was taken out.  
  
"Where is it..." Zim muttered to himself. Zib winced at some of the devices, dodging them carefully, yelping when the needle flew between his antennae-hair-thingees, causing him to clamp onto Zim's leg for saftey. Zim glanced down at Zib for a split second, before pulling out what looked like two extra-thick garden hoses, both the colour of purple.  
  
"A-hah!" he declared, and managed to walk across the room with Zib still clamped to his leg as the young spawn eyed the large needle, afraid it might attack any seccond. Zib looked up at the tubes his mom held up, watching them carefully from his odd perspective as Zim dragged him across the floor,  
  
"What're those?"  
  
"These, Zib," he replied as he suddenly grabbed Zib and sat him on the table, "Are how your ID Pack will download the vaccines, from my Pack. Seeing how the main computer is up in the Nest and I don't have it, you'll have to transfer from mine." with that he suddenly pressed on the two smaller pink patches on Zib's pack, as he did they suddenly vanished into the pack. Zib sat down on the table obediently, watching Zim poke the circles on his pod, craning his head around to watch.  
  
"Now don't worry, it won't hurt a bit." Zim said, as he suddenly hooked one end of both cables into the circles of Zib's pack, before attaching them to his own. At that, the cables snapped to life, giving off a faint glow and slight humming sound. Zib nodded slightly, trusting his Mom, something few others probably did, watching the wires glow and hum. He grew bored with it shortly, though, swinging his feet back and forth idly,  
  
"How long will this take?" All while this was happening, Zim had his eyes shut. Obviously he was in more control of his Pack then Zib was, telling which vaccine to duplicate and send through.  
  
"...I've done five of ten..." he muttered concentrating with all his might. Zib noted his mother's concentration and decided to be quiet, not really feeling anything on his end, as being half human he was rather numb to his pod. Eventually the cables stopped glowing and disconnected from Zib's pack, and Zim opened his eyes.  
  
"Well that's that part done.." he muttered, pulling them free of his pod. "Now for your icky round thing." he headed off to the case again, before returning with what looked like a mint, and handed it to Zib. "Here." Zib examined the mint-thing, narrowing his eyes skeptically before sticking out his flat, magenta tongue and placing it on the tip, withdrawing it and swallowing.. before he made a horrible face anda gagging sound, his claws clutching his throat.  
  
"Yeah I know, awful isn't it?" Zim said normally, resisting the feeling to smirk as the Nurse had done when he had to swallow his.   
  
"Yeah," Zib wheezed, his eyes tearing up as he finally fought the pill back, panting and looking miserable, "That was.. HORRIBLE!" Poor Zib, probably had more sensitive taste buds due to his half-human-ness. Zim patted Zib's back sympathetically.  
  
"I know Zib, but it's for the greater good, yes, the greater good."  
  
"Isn't there anything to wash it down with?" He whimpered, "I don't even care if it's water!"  
  
"Here, here..." Zim pulled from a nearby machine, a glass of some sort of drink and handed it to Zib. Zib drank half of it in one swig, stopped to catch his breath, before glugging down the rest of the drink. He flopped onto his back, letting the glass roll out of his small claws, still looking a bit ill. Zim scoffed, and scooped Zib into his arms and walked from the lab, the semi-limp Zib hanging in his arms.  
  
"Be glad that only happens once Zib. Soon you might have to be vaccinated against _human_ diseases, and that takes much longer! Zib whimpered at the thought and curled up slightly, covering his face.  
  
"But they've got so many different ones.."  
  
"I know Zib, I know." Zim said in an almost comforting tone as the two entered the elevator. "I'll understand if you want to rest the rest of today, that pill will need to do a lot of work." Zib nodded weakly and leaned against his mom, all pathetic like and disgruntled over having to eat such a nasty-tasting pill. Soon enough, he's curled up in his bed, GIR curled up in a little metal ball besides him – both sound asleep and leaving Zim to do his… Zimmy things.  
  
[To be continued]


	3. Chapter 3

Growing Population  
Epic Three  
Written by Cartman's Girl and Invader Poe  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter Three  
  
Zim grumbled to himself as odd procession of green… things wandered down the street, three 'children' and one 'dog'. He'd wanted to give Cten a mission briefing, but the Reject refused to leave her side - she'd been acting ill and odd for the past few weeks, and there was no way Zim was letting Poe into his base, so he was leading them to some undisclosed deserted location. They were, however, currently passing a Crazy Taco's, much to Gir's delight.. Zim tried to ignore the building and drag the robot on by.  
  
"Taaccooo!!" GIR, despite knowing he wasn't meant to talk while in his dog outfit, when he was hungry he was hungry. He yanked and pulled at the chain Zim was holding him by, and began to whimper and whine - sounding more canine then mechanical then before. Cten stopped walking and glanced at GIR, then at Krazy Taco. She put a finger to her mouth, then looked to Zim.  
  
"Oh, why don't we stop and get something?" she asked. GIR's black ears perked up at the question and nodded quickly in responce. Poe frowned, drumming his claws together, hovering, and generally fufilling his role as worried 'husband'.  
  
"Are you sure that's a good idea? You've been puking up half of what you've been eating lately.." He was utterly ignoring Zim, who was only further disgruntled by the request to stop for food.  
  
"BAH! Very well, we shall dine at the Taco pit!" Muttering colourfully all the time, he stomped towards the door of the resteraunt and flung them open.  
  
"YAY!" GIR waved his paws in the air happily as he entered Krazy Taco. Cten followed after Zim, talking back to Poe as she glanced up at the menu.  
  
"Oh that's probably just a slight Squeedily Spooch bug that I've got... the vaccine takes it's time working sometimes..." she then turned her attention to the teenager behind the counter. "I'll have a Kracy King Kombo please, and a large classic poop." GIR held up his two paws at her, then she added. "Make that two." Poe raised his eyelids,  
  
"I thought you didn't like human food.." Zim looked equally shocked.  
  
"Cten, you don't want to eat that filth! The virus will thrive in the humaney goo!" The teenager behind the counter looked at the short green people with some worry, before quickly setting about getting their order, and soon a plastic tray heaping with aluminum-bound food was on the counter.  
  
"Oh you boys worry too much." Cten replied as she took the tray and set it on GIR's head, then paid the teenager. "Thank you!" she smiled up at him before taking her half of the lunch. "Now come on, I know a nice spot where we can sit and you can breif me Zim." before either Zim or Poe could respond, she had lead GIR via the leash out of Krazy Taco. Poe stared at her back dumbly, then ran to catch up with her, leaving Zim behind.  
  
"Eh!" The shorter Irken caught up as well, scowling at Cten, "I'm not sure what's gotten into you Cten, this virus of yours is making you act all.. abnormal!" He flailed his fingers to demonstrate the sheer abnormality of it. Soon enough, the group was at the park and sat under a big tree. GIR had already eaten half his meal and was now playing with a little action figure, and he was covered in sauce. Cten was eating her taco, listening to Zim as he was 'breifing' her.  
  
"Are you sure you're okay?" Poe just looked worried.  
  
"Poe," Cten looked at him, sounding somewhat annoyed since obviously this wasn't the first time Poe had asked her this in the past few weeks, "I keep telling you, I am perfectly fine. Now stop the fussing boys really, you act like a couple of parents to me sometimes." she waved a hand at the two. Poe flinched slightly and nodded in defeat, stuffing his claws in his pockets and leaning against the tree.  
  
"If you say so.."  
  
"I highly dislike doing it in the presance of that REJECT, Cten," Zim glared at said Reject, "Who knows how he may compromise the mission with his.. Rejectyness!"  
  
"Zim, Poe has no intentions of doing anything to endanger our mission." she sipped at her classic poop cola. "Now come on, spill."  
  
"Fine, fine. Anyway, I have discovered that humans are extremely succeptable to.. 'commercials," he airquoted with his claws, "If I could somehow hijack the airwaves, maybe I could get them to.." And on he went, with plans of subliminal suggestion and hypnotic rays and such. Poe was productive by doodiling in the dirt with the tip of his claw. By the time Zim had explained his whole plan, GIR was fast asleep leaning against Cten - who had stayed awake listening to Zim. She had nodded now and again, and made 'hmm-mm' sounds. She was about to say something, when GIR suddenly sprang to life, his paws on where Cten's tummy would be.  
  
"Yer tubby Ms. Cten!" he chirped, and snuggled against her more, his tail wagging quickly.   
  
"Well, no wonder, look at all the disgusting human food she's been eating!" Zim scoffed and motioned to the empty wrappers. Poe blinked and looked up, looking over at Cten,  
  
"..tubby?"  
  
"U-huh!" GIR replied, patting the 'tummy' area.  
  
"GIR stop that." Cten squirmed, now somewhat uncomfortable for the subject of her weight had entered the discussion.  
  
"Tubby 'n comfy!" GIR snuggled against her more, and sighed happily.  
  
"She's not tubby," Poe huffed defensively - and you would think he of all people would know that sort of thing. Zim narrowed his eyes and examined Cten,  
  
"You DO seem to be a bit... poochy in the stomach area," he said, quickly refraining himself from saying something like fat, having Cten's tall, pointy-toothed mate already glaring at him and all.  
  
"Poochy?!" Cten put her hands to her stomach, and her eyes widened slightly. They were right, a very obvious buldge could be seen. "...oh..." she said quietly.  
  
"Poooochy!" GIR declared, giggling at the new word. Poe blinked down at her,  
  
"Cten?" Zim snorted,  
  
"See what eating human food does? The amount you've been eating doesn't help, far too much for a dignified Irken! Why, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were eating for--" He halted suddenly, then narrowed his eyes, "Wait a minute.."  
  
"What...?" Cten didn't like the look Zim was giving her, and scooted away slightly towards Poe. Poe glared at Zim and put an arm around Cten's shoulders. Zim made a face and started shaking his head,  
  
"So THAT explains it! I should have seen it sooner! Cten, I would think an Invader such as yourself would _know_ better, unless that horrible Reject forced himself on you!"  
  
"What?!" Poe wasn't sure what Zim was talking about, but he didn't like his tone. By the look on Cten's face, she didn't like his tone either.  
  
"What? What are.." she stopped when she saw the look Zim was giving her. She blushed deeply now, and put a hand defensively to her buldge. "Zim!!" she just glared at him now, knowing what he was talking about. Zim stood up and flailed his arms about as he spoke,  
  
"Absoultely disgusting! With a Reject, ugh!" Poe scowled as he thought he understood what Zim was getting to, but not quite sure why Zim just had this revelation,  
  
"Zim, what we do in our base is none of your-"  
  
"I'm not talking about that, trash eater!" He huffed, "Though that is pretty disgusting too. I'm talking about the result of such horrible activities!" He pointed an accusing claw at Cten, "That is no Squeedly spooch virus!"  
  
"So... so I'm going to lay then, it's my business isn't it?" Cten frowned at Zim, then taking a step towards him. "You shouldn't get so riled up about it." GIR was now chewing on the plastic boxes his food had come in, not taking notice of the hallabalou going on.  
  
"But an untrained Irken hatchling running around could compromise the entire mission!" Nevermind he had Zib and all.  
  
"And what about Zib?" Cten crossed her arms. Zim started to say something, holding up his claw and pausing, thinking for a moment.  
  
"Zib was entirely accidental, nevermind he was created in a cloning machine already and already partly grown!"  
  
"Oh so it's all right to have an accident around yet not all right for my own child to be around?" her fists clenched, she didn't mean to insult Zib but it was a point after all.  
  
"Wasn't _that_ an accident?" He motioned to her belly. Poe bristled, understanding what they were talking about, and just snarled silently in Zim's direction, giving him a 'warning' look, which Zim of course ignored.  
  
"No, no it _wasn't_ an accident!" she snapped back, her hands deffensively on her buldge again. Zim flinched slightly, looking slightly dumbstruck that his 'underling' would snap at him like that, then looked indignat, folding his arms.  
  
"That's no tone to speak to your commanding officer--"  
  
"That's no way to speak to my _mate_," Poe interrupted, more a growl than speech.  
  
"Poe, I want to go home now..." Cten said quietly, moving away from Zim, taking the route behind Poe. "I'm not feeling too well." Poe nodded and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, starting to lead her away. Zim glared at their backs,  
  
"Don't think I'll let this insubordination go-" Poe looked over his shoulder with such a glare that Zim shut up, wincing slightly. "Bah! Come, Gir, we leave this place of dirt!"  
  
"Aw, no popcorn elephants?" GIR looked up at his Master.  
  
"_No_." Zim wasn't in a very good mood either, having his feathers ruffled and all, yanking on Gir's leash and dragging him along, leaving the mess behind. Poe muttered to himself darkly as they left Zim behind, idly massaging Cten's shoulders. Cten's eyes were on the ground as the two made their way down the street, and she put a hand to her buldge and shut her eyes.  
  
"Well that wasn't the happiest moment of my life..." Poe leaned down and nuzzled her wig in an attempt to cheer her up somehow.. He never had been good at this comforting thing.  
  
"Do you think he's right?"  
  
"About what? Mistake or not talking to him the way I should?"  
  
"I think he deserves to be spoken to like that," Poe snorted quietly, "But I mean.. about.. the egg."  
  
"Do you think it is?" she looked up at him.  
  
"I.. really don't know," He looked at the ground in slight embaressment, "I mean, it could still be the virus making you sick and crave all those strange foods, right?"  
  
"..I've never been 'with egg' before... but I heard it does... it does make you eat weird things..." Cten glanced around, then spied their base coming nearer as they approached it. "I don't know..." she shook her head.  
  
"We'll see what happens," Poe ran his claws through her wig, stroking her antennae somewhat, "Isn't there some sort of test the computer or lab can run?"  
  
"Not that I know of... and if I am.. going to have an egg, I'd be close to having it." she took note that their, ahem, event had happened a good few weeks ago, and she had grown in size in that area since then. Poe nodded slightly, looking even more worried and concerned than before, going into typical pre-natal fatherly panic.  
  
"Is there anything I can do to help?"  
  
"I..." she trailed off and then went quiet for a while, hands over her buldge and suddenly looking slightly worried. "...um... carry me home?" Poe smiled slightly, unaware of any danger or other impending events, and leaned down, scooping her up like a new bride, and started towards the base, trying to somehow make the ride as comfortable as possible. Soon the two were in the base and Cten pulled her wig and contacts off,  
  
"Ookay, Poe? If you could do one more thing for me?"  
  
"Anything," He looked down at her, hugging her close, which might not be the smartest thing to do but he was feeling protective.  
  
"...take me upstairs to our room, I'm gonna lay." she said quickly, holding onto him - now a slight hint of fear lingering in her voice.  
  
"Of course - huhwah?!" He looked at her in surprise and started upstairs quickly, kicking open the door as he started to panic, setting her down on the bed and taking off his own wig and contacts quickly. Cten sat up on the bed, pulling her red boots off. She looked more and more distressed with each possible passing second as she pulled her lower half's clothing off.  
  
"What do I do?!" Poe's eyes darted around as if he hoped to find a midwife manual somewhere in the walls, as he watched her and paced around.  
  
"Just... calm down?" Cten was beginning to sweat now as she propped herself on some pillows and starting panting, her segmented tongue hanging out the corner of her mouth.  
  
"But-" He made a worried whining sound in his throat and sat down on the bed beside her, "I don't know, I mean, I've never, I don't even know how that _works_, and.." She grabbed his hand, trying to calm him down. Funny how things should be reversed right about now,  
  
"Poe.. shh, it's all right..." she paused as a jolt of pain struck through her body, then opened her eyes - now semi glazed over. "That was then... this is now.." Poe winced, detecting her pain and squeezed her hand, before letting go and did all he could, hugging her close and resting his head on top of her antennae, holding her left hand with his left one, the right absently stroking her cheek. Cten whimpered slightly, leaning into him as some more of the pain jolted more and more recent then before. Pretty soon before either of them knew what was happening, she was pretty much screaming her head off as she was now pretty much mid-laying now. Beka had arrived, and had a damp cloth *damped by clensing gel thankfully* on her Mistress' forehead.  
  
Poe flinched and curled his antennae up slightly, trying to whisper words of comfort and encouragement into her antennae and holding on tightly despite her ruckus, looking rather thankful when Beka arrived, then glanced down at the slightly visible egg, watching with an odd sort of fascination. And in a split second and a hefty push from Cten, it was out and I must say, smothered in green slimey after birth stuff. Cten's antennae drooped down over her head as she breathed a sigh of reliefe. Beka picked up the egg and cleaned it off from the slimey stuff, then wrapped it in another blanket and stood on the bed besides Poe holding onto it, as Cten was recovering. Poe couldn't help but smile, squeezing her tightly before looking over at Beka,  
  
"Here.." He held one arm out warily, not quite trusting himself with an egg but wanting to show Cten. Beka handed it over to Poe, Cten's eyes slowly opening as she saw Beka hand it over. Poe cradled it with one arm, balancing it between his chest and his drawn-up legs, tilting it so she could see, smiling down at her.  
  
"Aw..." Cten said quietly, smilling up at Poe before looking at the egg. An egg was, needless to say, a bit more impersonal than a mammilian birth, but it was all the same. Poe set the egg between them, staring down at it in disbelief,  
  
"..we're _parents_," he finally said.  
  
"Yeah..." she said, then stroked it with her hand, then leant up and kissed Poe on teh cheek. "Congratulations, Dad." Poe smiled oddly, then returned the kiss on her forehead,  
  
"Hey, you did all the work," He teased slightly, then added, "Mom." Cten just smiled happily, then scooped the egg into her arms and cradled it with her arm.  
  
"Awww." Beka cooed. Poe leaned against her, looking down at the egg,  
  
"Any idea how long it'll be until it hatches?"  
  
"Well... I think, at least a few weeks..." she shrugged slightly, "I'm not too sure. Poe nodded slightly, reaching over and touching the surface of the egg,  
  
"Wonder who it'll look like.. or what gender it'll be," he blinked slightly, realizing something, "Um.. what're we going to do for a name?"  
  
"We'll think about that, when the time comes... right now, I want to rest." Cten replied as Beka removed the cloth from her forehead. Poe nodded slightly and hugged her gently,  
  
"I'll let you rest, then." He looked over to Beka, "Anything I can do to help?" There was going to be some clean up needed, afterall. Beka glanced down at the bed,  
  
"Well, you could move Ma'am to another room while I clean, Sir Poe." she replied as Cten had already closed her eyes; since laying an egg wasn't exactly easy. Poe nodded and scooped Cten up gently, making sure she was holding the egg securely, and carried her out of the room, to the other bedroom that had originally been intended as Poe's, and would probably one day become Enid's. He set her down on the untouched bed, stroking her antennae idly. Cten sighed gently and smiled softly, eventually drifting off.  
  
And meanwhile, all the way over at Zim's base, Zim is awaiting the return of Zib since today was Dib's day to watch him; hence why he wasn't with the group beforehand. He's still pretty uppidy about what happened with Cten and Poe, so he's sat on the couch with his arms folded, and scowling back at the Scary Monkey that was playing on the TV. There was eventually a ring at the door. Zib and Dib were out there, Dib eyeing the lawn gnomes warily while Zib took another bite out of his chocolate candy bar, half of which was on his face. The door was swung open by Zim, again with his disguise back on. Magic how he can get his disguise on so quickly, isn't it? He grunted at Dib then looked down at Zib, raising an eye at the chocolaty mess Zib was in.  
  
"I see you two had... fun?"  
  
"We went to go see Moth man!" Zib announced, looking up at Zim and sputtering chocolate chunks as he spoke.  
  
"..unfortunately, it was only a movie," Dib snorted, stuffing his hands in his coat pockets.  
  
"Uh... huh..." Zim muttered before doing his usual 'cleaning Zib's face' ritual he did around 100 times a day to the spawn, and continued talking like he wasn't wiping Zib's face with a cloth. "And Dib, I'm sure you'd be interested to know that we're not going to be the only alien life forms on this planet."  
  
"What?!" Dib perked up immediately, "You mean like those aliens that abducted you that one time? Or some new threat to Earth?"  
  
"Calm down worm baby." Zim replied, finishing with the cleaning of Zib's face and stood up. "Poe and Cten's... reproducing." he spat out the last word after a moment's hesitation, and didn't sound happy about it either; which we all know he isn't.  
  
"They did what?!" What little colour was in Dib's face drained out of it, "They must plan on breeding an army of Irkens to repopulate the Earth!"  
  
"Yeah sure whatever." Zim didn't really want to think about it, but he did enjoy seeing Dib become all panicy - that he enjoyed. Dib paused, and a thought sparked in his large head,  
  
"I didn't know they had a cloning machine like the one you built."   
  
"They don't." Zim replied quickly. "Cten isn't nearly as smart as I am to build one, and the Reject certianlly wouldn't be able to tell a woozit from a wazza if his pathetic life depended on it." he folded his arms, and shuddered as he went on. "They did it the... natural way."  
  
"The natural way? --Oh." Dib scrunched up his face, "There are some facets of alien life I'm happier to not know about.."  
  
"...oh really? I thought an investigator as yourself would go head over heels for the opportunity to know of the Irken reproduction process." Zim grinned at Dib as he took Zib's hand and pulled him besides him.  
  
"But -- that's just sick!" He coughed, looking to the side, "Nothing I would ever want to study. Never. Nope."  
  
"Oh well you just missed out on getting free information from me for the first and last time Dib about my species so go home and rot! Bye now!" and before Dib knew it, the door slammed shut in his face. Dib winced and swore under his breath. Oh well, time to go home and watch strange tentacle hentai videos - whoops, did that slip out? Anyway. Zib looked up at Zim,  
  
"They're gonna have a baby?"  
  
"Yes." Zim replied angrilly as he pulled his wig off.  
  
"Yay!" Zib finished his candy bar, "Finally, I'll have someone my age to play with! That's organic," he glanced over at Gir.  
  
"Hehehe, organic." GIR giggled stupidly. Zim just grunted and walked across the room.  
  
"Such a young Irken though would jepordize our mission! If it got loose it'd be far more recogniseable! ...plus I don't like babies."  
  
"But I could play with him instead of having to be around Gir and his taco stickiness all the time!" Zib was assuming his potential playmate to be male, of course, since girls were icky. At least, at this age.  
  
"I'll be clear on one thing, I shall never babysit that.. that... thing!" Zim didn't especially like the idea of Poe having a spawn, hence to him, the spawn would already be a Reject - to him at least.  
  
"Aw, why not? I bet it'll be cute!" Zib giggled, "I guess I couldn't play with it when it was just a hatchling though.."  
  
"On the conta... uh, no you're wrong." Zim turned to face Zib, hands behind his back. "Once we're born we can talk, walk, and so on and so forth you know. It'll just be... small for a while but we grow pretty quickly." he grumbled since he never did grow all that quickly from his birth height.  
  
"Oh, yay!" Zib sat down on the floor, "I wonder who it'll look like. They both have funny antennae.." not that he was one to be talking. Zim fell silent and just crossed his arms as he sat on the sofa again. He didn't really feel like doing anything now, so he did the important job of... sitting. Yup, sitting.  
  
"What's wrong, Mom?" Zib tilted his head, perking his strange hair-covered antennae. Zim just continued to glare at the TV, before snapping out of it slightly.  
  
"Cten and her... mate." Zim sneered. "It's totally jepordizing our mission having more Irkens around! Being untrained and so young!"  
  
"Mate?" Zib looked mildly confused, "What is this.. mate thing? I thought she lived with Poe." Oh boy, he put his clawed foot in it this time.  
  
"Uhhh... you see Zib when... uhh..." Zim fiddled his hands around, not too sure how to explain the term 'mate'. GIR stood up. "Poe 'n Cten's gonna haffa baby so they'd mate!" "...yes, exactly."  
  
"I thought it was a thing, not an action.." He looked really confused, now.  
  
"...it's both." Zim said quickly.  
  
"Oh.. but.. what is it?"  
  
"...the action or the thing?" Zim was lost now.  
  
"Both! I don't get it."  
  
"All right. You know how here on Earth when two humans love each other, they do that marry thing?" thank Tallest for the television.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Well that's kinda what Cten and the Reject is. They... love each other and live together." Zim wasn't especially looking forward to the second half of the explenation.  
  
"And this produces spawn?"  
  
"The... action of mating, yes."  
  
"Ooh," Zib got an idea, "You mean like that clone machine you and Dad put stuff into to make me? That was mating?"  
  
"NO." Zim said quickly, "No, that... that wasn't mating."  
  
"Oh," Zib scowled at his revelation was shot down, "What is it then?"  
  
"Uhhrrmm.. I'll.... explain it to you when you're older."  
  
"Why till then?" Zib was just full of questions, wasn't he.  
  
"Because you're too young to have your mind warped!"  
  
"Oh, fine," Zib scowled and crossed his arms. Gir, meanwhile, was trying to be helpful by flipping to an - ahem - certain channel.  
  
"Lookit Mini-Master!" He screamed and pointed at the screen.  
  
"ARGH!!" Zim yanked the remote from GIR and quickly flipped the channel to the normal TV station, squeedly smooch racing a hundred times a second, then glared at the robot. "GIR, don't be helpful again."  
  
"Huhwah?" Zib turned around, not fast enough to see what it was before Zim changed the channel and looked dully at the TV, "Gir, that's a commercial for a Rotato, I'm pretty sure that's not mating." Zim just growled at GIR who giggled innocently. He pocketed the remote.  
  
"So... what do you want to do.. now?" Zib shrugged idly, his attention already taken by whatever was on TV, some cartoon or somesuch. Wow.. such action and suspense. You could read the praise on Zim's face, as he finally got the drive to go do something, fearing if Zib would ask him more questions, and left the room. Zib didn't even notice, he just sat on the floor, bathed in the glow from the TV.  
  
[To be continued!]


	4. Chapter 4

Growing Population  
Epic Three  
Written by Cartman's Girl and Invader Poe  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter Four_  
  
A few more weeks later  
_  
T'was a Skool day, joyus time for all, is it not? Well, maybe for Poe since he didn't attend the doomed Skool system. The sun was shining merrily, birds chirpped and other such fun stuff was going on. So we begin this day on Poe and Cten's base, it's around lunch time now, as the clock is on midday. Poe was doing something wholly productive like sitting on the couch, watching TV and chewing on piece of ham. The egg was sitting beside him, wrapped up in a blanket; Cten had told him to watch it at all times since it could hatch any time now. Showing on the TV was an overly dramatic soapie, where some guy was expressing his love to a girl who then ripped her head off to reveal she was an alien of some sort from Jupiter; as this was happening, there could be heard very faintly a tapping sound.  
  
"Alright!" Poe grinned at the TV, ham sticking out of his teeth, when his antennae, which was hanging right beside the egg, picked up the tapping sound.  
  
"Huh?" He looked around briefly for the source, before realizing it was the egg. "Uh oh.." He started to go into panic mode, standing up and twitching his antennae,  
  
"Can't you at least wait until your Mom gets home?" he asked of the egg. Only responce he got was more tapping now, as the egg wobbled from side to side. Already the two were disagreeing on things, and it hadn't even hatched yet! Poe winced and steadied the egg with his hands, sitting back down on the couch and picking it up, setting it on his lap.  
  
"I really should've done some research on this sort of thing.." Having the egg now steadied seemed to make things easier, as the tapping became more stronger now and again, then it seemed to die off slowly, and the egg fell silent. Poe frowned, looking even more worried now. He tapped on the shell with the tip of his own claw, backing his antennae,  
  
"Um… eggy?" They hadn't decided on a name yet, apparently, not even knowing the gender and all. Still no responce, either the hatchling inside had gotten tired too quickly; or it was a so called 'false alarm'. Poe couldn't tell. Poe's mind jumped to far more morose conclusions,  
  
"Beka? You around?" He asked of the empty room, then got an idea, "Maybe I should call Cten.." He unfolded the rarely used communications leg of his pod, thought for a moment then dialed in a number, "Hope she's not in class.."  
  
Quick pan over to the Skool, luckily it's lunch time and Cten's just finished having lunch in the cafeteria - or pretending to have lunch more importantly. She was making her way down the hall to her locker, when her communicater sprang from her pod. She squeaked and threw her locker opened, having the conversation inside. Seeing Poe calling, she now looked slightly worried.  
  
"Poe? - What is it?"  
  
"It's the egg," He glanced down, leaning the communicator down so the egg appeared on the monitor, "It was wiggling and making tapping noises, but it stopped.."  
  
"It stopped?" her eyes widened, "Oh dear... I... I don't know if I can leave or not... Ms. Bitters isn't exactly understanding... just, just keep it warm now, it might have exhausted itself…" Poe nodded slightly,  
  
"Alright, I'll try.. Just try to get home soon, alright? I wouldn't want you to miss it," He smiled slightly, then said his goodbyes and refolded he communicator. He looked down at the egg, frowning faintly. The egg still lay quietly in his hands for a little while, just before the tapping started up again, sounding if you may, more determined now. Poe perked his antennae, looking slightly relieved,  
  
"Don't scare me like that!" He chided the egg, holding onto it tightly, but gently. The egg seemed to ignore him now, now more tapping coming up as some pieces of the shell began to make snapping sounds. The egg seemed to ignore him now, now more tapping coming up as some pieces of the shell began to make snapping sounds. Poe watched intently, gently removing a piece of shell. There wasn't much else he could do but watch, but he liked to feel needed. Then, there was a burst of energy for a big chunk of the egg fell off, the leg of the hatchling now hanging out as the hatching once again stopped to at least rest a while. The leg was small of course, and rather sticky with the yolk-like stuff inside. Poe got an odd, mushy grin on his face, seeing part of his spawn for the first time.  
  
It was kind of hard to get attached to an egg, afterall. He dabbed the leg with the corner of the towel, being extremely careful since he could guess at how delicat hatchlings were. There came a slight whimpering sound from inside the egg, before a small hand managed to push more of the shell away revealing more of the spawn. It's eyes were shut, for now and it's antennae were actually all curled around tightly. As the other piece of shell falls away it manages to pull itself fully out of the egg, landing Poe's hands. Poe blinked suddenly, quickly wrapping the towel around the hatchling and cradling it the best he knew how.  
  
"Um.. hi there," He grinned slightly, stroking the tiny head with the knuckle of his claw. The hatchling made a small squeak noise before it's eyes opened slowly, revealing dark blue eyes and looked up at Poe, staring in great awe at how big this creature was. Poe smiled warmly,  
  
"I guess I should introduce myself, huh? I'm your Daddy," He grinned, embracing the concept and lable fully for the first time, "Your mom should be here soon.." It blinked a couple of times as it's antennae began to unfold, very similar to how butterflies allow their wings to stretch out and dry. To say the least, the antennae were very long and angular, resembling Poe's. But it had the ball like Cten's on the first joint either way. It yawned and clung to his hand, still looking up at him. Poe studied the antennae for a while, noticing the slight curl,  
  
"Now I have to wonder if you're a girl or if you just take after me.." Either way, he stroked one of the tiny antennae lightly, careful not to be too rough with the brittle appendages. The hatchling smiled slightly, obviously liking this and made a soft purr-like sound from it's throat, snuggling against Poe's hand and giving a tiny sigh. Poe smiled, well, fatherly and leaned down, nuzzling his hatchling on the head.  
  
"Wish I had a name for you.. Maybe Cten knows one or two."  
  
"Daaa..." the hatchling held it's hands up and placed them against Poe as he nuzzled it's head, since hearing what he said he was it seemed only fitting to call him it now, whatever this 'Daddy' thing was, he was certainly a nice Daddy. Poe closed his eyes and smiled warmly, careful not to grin and show off his potentially scary teeth. He then sighed and looked towards the door,  
  
"I wish your Mom were here, though, I'm sure she wants to see you too."  
  
Meanwhile, Cten had indeed left Skool. Hey, this was her spawn being born for crying out loud, and Skool could wait another day for her return either way. She was hurrying down the street, running past Dib's house and finally skidding to a halt at her base. She was panting now as she arrived at the door, and swung it open to have the sight of Poe sat on the couch, cradeling…  
  
"…oh my Tallest…" she mouthed. Poe's antennae twitched at the sound of the door opening and looked up at Cten, grinning widely and not seeming to care that the hatchling was poking his face with its sharp little claws. She blinked a couple times before closing the door behind her and walking forward, pulling her wig and lenses off as she did.  
  
"...oh Poe..." she mumbled as she stood besides him, the little hatchling now looking up at her, claws still holding onto Poe's face.  
  
"Yeah, I guess she was impatient.." He blinked, "Or he, whichever." The smell of the afterbirth, er, hatching had been too strong to detect any sort of gender variation before, but it was starting to come through now - Irken anatomy was a bit too, ah, tucked away to tell anything by looking. Cten smiled broadly, then reached out and stroaked the hatchling's head. The hatchling turned it's attention from the 'Daddy' to look up at the other creature, this one looking similar to the Daddy.  
  
"Aw, hi there..." Cten smiled, putting a hand to her chest. "I'm your Mommy..." the hatchling blinked a few times, then rolled onto it's side in Poe's hands, wiggling it's drying antennae a bit, or possibly giving a greetings too.  
  
"Here," Poe handed the little hatchling over to Cten - of course, to him it was little, but it was probably a bit larger than a normal Irken hatchling, having his tall genes and all. Indeed it was a bit bigger then the average hatchling size, hence why the egg itself had been bigger – Cten knew this for sure. She took the hatchling into her arms, cradeling it close to her as she sat on the sofa. The hatchling, already tired from the days events began falling asleep in her arms. Cten then looked over at Poe and smiled broadly,  
  
"Now we're really parents.." she said gently, the hatchlings antennae twitching now and again. Poe sat down beside her and put his arm around her shoulders, looking back at her, then down at the hatchling,  
  
"Yeah.." was all he said, half-closing his eyes and smiling happily, a look that probably only Cten, Beka, and now the hatchling ever saw on him. "We still need a name though.."  
  
"You're right." she looked down at the hatchling who now was fast asleep, nuzzling against Cten's shirt. "Well... I've read a few name books at Skool and I found one that might be fitting..."  
  
"Oh?" He scratched his head with his free arm, "Maybe we should have a male and female one, until we know for certain.."  
  
"Well... for a girl I found 'Enid' interesting..." she looked back down at the hatchling. "While for a boy, I thought maybe 'Radge'. What do you think?" Cten then glanced at him. Poe pondered for a moment, then nodded,  
  
"I like them.." He glanced down at the offspring as well, "It's hard to believe.."  
  
"It is... isn't it?" she leaned back on the sofa, making herself more comfortable.  
  
"Yeah.. A few months ago, I was just another Reject.. albiet one on an alien planet, but still." Suddenly, a look of guilt crossed his face as he remembered that little fact, him being a Reject and all. Cten looked at him,  
  
"What's the matter?" she could already sense something wrong with him, and now sounded worried. Poe sighed and scratched the back of his neck,  
  
"Rejects aren't suppose to reproduce, especially with normal Irkens.. Heck, some of us are rendered sterile at hatching.. They say that we'll infect the gene pool and the offspring will probably have something.. wrong with it, like the Reject."  
  
"Well that's what they say." she said gently, moving one hand and placing it over his. "To me, you're not a Reject at all, I love you and that's whats important, isn't it? I don't see anything wrong with you at all, and if you say something like, Zim say you're a Reject, well Zim's stupid anyway." Poe smiled slightly,  
  
"I guess.. I just don't want my hatchling to have to go through what I did." He glanced down at the floor.  
  
"I won't allow you, or it to go through that." she said sternly. Poe chuckled softly,  
  
"I'm alright now, so long as I'm on Earth.. Zim's just annoying.. Heck, part of me feels sorry for him, in a way, he's just as much a Reject as I am, but he doesn't even know it, or else is in denial." He shook his head, "I won't be nearly so understanding if he treats our offspring the same way though.."  
  
"Well he better not... I don't want her to get that sort of treatment from anyone." Cten then stopped, blinking a few times. "..I just said she didn't I?" Sure enough, the strong scent of the yolk-like substance was drifting away now leaving the gender 'scent' to drift around more. Poe nodded slightly, and reached one of his antennae over, waving it over the hatchling,  
  
"Seems like a girl to me.." Cten smiled slowly, then grinned at Poe.  
  
"Poe we have a daughter...!" she sounded very excited now, knowing what her offspring was at last. Poe nodded, smiling,  
  
"I'm relieved... I know what teenage boys are like, afterall." He hugged her with one arm, petting his daughter's forehead with the other.   
  
"Ha ha." Cten grinned, leaning against him and looking down at their hatchling. "Enid it is then." She added.  
  
"So when we we going to tell our, ah, friends? Or do we just let them find out on their own?" Poe rubbed her shoulder idly, staring down at Enid as well.  
  
"Despite it, he does deserve to know.. and Zib's been asking us every time he's seen us if it's hatched or not." she replied, stroaking Enid's head gently.  
  
"True.. I'm not too keen on telling Dib, though," Poe twitched slightly, "He'd probably try to capture her.."  
  
"He does and he'll have a close encounter with my lesser-known weapon I carry." Cten replied, almost darkly.  
  
"Lesser-known?" Poe raised his eyelids - apparently it was lesser known if not even he knew about it.  
  
"Well... back when I was training to be a Maid I had to do on the spot jobs," she replied, she never really wanted Poe to know about it, but nows a better time then any. "While at one bar, some old guy who looked like a human told me all about these adventures he'd have had with other 'people' and spoke of a green guy and other stuff. I just said it sounded interesting, and he gave me this light sword thing. Seconds later he died." she motioned to her pod, "Ever since then I've had it. It packs a mighty wallop too." Poe blinked in appreciation,  
  
"Wow. I think I've told you about my weapon, though it's more of a hassle.." He grunted, glaring back at his heavy ID pod, "I doubt there'd be much left of Dib after we got through with him." He muttered, and that wasn't even counting his claws and teeth. She reached up and stroked his cheek gently,  
  
"I think he's smart enough to know not to mess with you." she said gently.  
  
"I would hope so.." He tilted his head into the stroking subconsciously, his brief dark mood fading quickly, "Let's just hope Zim is too." Cten nodded absently for a while, then sat up.  
  
"Well, Zim's at Skool so Zib's alone with GIR... think we should at least let him know? He's been more excited then either of us, I swear.." Poe chuckled,  
  
"He has been.. Sure, I don't see any harm in it."  
  
"All right then..." she handed Enid to Poe gently, as to not wake her up. Then, her communicator unfolded from her pod, and she dialed up Zib's number - which Zim had given her in case he couldn't be contacted for such reasons.   
  
Zib yelped, disturbed from his watching of daytime TV when his communications arm suddenly unfolded from his pod and shoved itself in his face; he still hasn't mastered it, obviously.  
  
"Um.. hi?" He blinked at the monitor as it fuzzed into view, "Hey, Ms. Cten!"  
  
"Hello Zib! How are you?" she heard the sounds of the TV being played loudly, GIR had gotten the remote back and was watching the All Moose Music channel. Zib winced at the sound, tugging down one of his antennae so he wasn't deafened,  
  
"Oh, I'm as good as can be expected," He grumbled loudly, "Stuck here with Gir and all.." He suddenly perked up, letting go of his antennae-scythe, "Did the egg hatch?!" Cten grinned, she had waited till he'd asked that question - as he always had.  
  
"Yes Zib, it just hatched." His eyes lit up, and Zib clutched the communicator,  
  
"Can I see?!" He sure seemed excited, alright.  
  
"Yes, yes.." she leant out of the view of her communicator, and came back holding the sleeping Enid in her arms. "Zib, this is Enid."  
  
"Aww.." He tilted his head, raising one of his eyelids, "Isn't Enid kind of an odd name for a boy though?" The thought the hatchling might be female still had never entered his head.  
  
"Um, Zib, Enid's a girl." Cten replied, as she said this Enid began to move in her arms slightly, her long antennae twitching. Zib froze and stared at the communicator blankly. Finally, his lower eyelids drew up slightly.  
  
"A... _girl_?"  
  
"Yes Zib, a _girl_." Cten replied, trying to calm down Enid who was now making some upset sounds. Poe frowned, speaking somewhere from off screen, a bit too tall to be in the monitor's range,  
  
"What's wrong with her?" Zib just looked shocked, his eyelid twitching,  
  
"But.. but.. girls.. girls are icky!" He covered his mouth, looking slightly scared now.  
  
"Hang on..." Cten then handed Enid, who was now wailing to Poe so at least she could talk to Zib without that much distraction. She raised an eyelid, "I'm icky?" she asked, not all that surprised with Zib's reaction to Enid being a girl.  
  
"You're not a _girl_ girl though," he clarified ambigiously, "I can't play with a girl-girl!" He actually seemed somewhat distraught, poor little hybrid.  
  
"Oh Zib..." Cten smiled slightly, then glanced at Poe who looked very confused now while Enid was still crying, then looked back at him. "Well, we'll see what she's like all right? You two might become good friends, despite her being a girl." Poe cradled Enid nervously, afraid he was doing something wrong, while Zib looked around nervously,  
  
"She'll give me cooties though! Horrible, squeedly-spooch eating cooties!" He wasn't even sure if he had a squeedly spooch, but, well, he was his mother's son, or something.  
  
"Oh come on, you're vaccinated against cooties." Cten replied simply. Enid then hiccuped, pausing from crying since crying so much usually gave one hiccups.  
  
"I -- oh, wait, I am?" Zib blinked, spontaneously relaxing, "I guess that's alright then." Poe cautiously set Enid against his shoulder and pat her back softly, blinking in thought before he started to hum a strange tune, and attempted to calm the hatchling down by rocking her. Enid clung to Poe's shoulder and whimpered a bit, hiccuping now and again but eventually calming down and now just making sniveling sounds.  
  
"Yes Zib, you're vaccinated. So you can come over, eh with your Mom if you want later and see her. If your Mom allows you to." Cten replied, glancing up at Poe and smiling slightly. Poe closed his eyes and held the back of Enid's head, humming softly and dredging up some misplaced maternal instincts.  
  
"Aw, I wanna see now though.." Zib scowled at the floor, "Mom probably wouldn't let me 'cause he's mean like that."  
  
"Well don't come over alone, all right?" as she said this, GIR hopped up besides Zib and looked at the communicator.  
  
"Can I take Gir?" He looked up hopefully, grabbing onto the robot's round wrist thingee, "He's suppose to be a watch dog anyway!"  
  
"Uh.... sure... as long as you're back home before your Mom is." Cten replied, it wasn't that far away from them and GIR knew where they were. Enid now relaxed, slowly began to fall asleep again against Poe, before mumbling quietly - to his surprise really,  
  
"Da-da.." Poe blinked his eyes open, antennae arching forward,  
  
"Hey, did you hear that?" He grinned estatically down at Enid. Cten blinked as the communicator re-folded, then looked up at Poe.  
  
"What, what?" she asked.  
  
"She said 'Da-da'," He beamed, a silly grin spreading over his face. Cten looked surprised, standing up besides him.  
  
"She did? Really?!"  
  
"Yeah," He said, beaming with pride and hugging Enid gently, a rather odd thing for the usually quiet, humble Reject. Cten clasped her hands together, looking ever so proud as well. "Awww!"  
  
[To be continued!]


	5. Chapter 5

Growing Population  
Epic Three  
Written by Cartman's Girl and Invader Poe  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter Five  
  
"Come, Gir!" Zib jumped off the couch, dragging the robot behind him with some difficulty, "Put on your doggy disguise!"  
  
"Oookie dokie!" GIR pulled his disguise out from his head and pulled it on, wagging his tail. "Where we goin' Mini-Master??" he wasn't used to going out so early, usually his walks with Zim happened at night.  
  
"To Ms. Cten and Poe's base to see the hatchling!" His own communicator refolded as he pulled Gir towards the door, remembering his own meager disguise and sticking his contacts in.  
  
"YAY! Baby!" GIR cheered, holding his own leash happily. Zib looked around for witnesses, then walked out the door, folding his arms behind his back and whistling as he marched down the street, while Gir, er, walked himself. GIR whistled happily to himself as the two walked down the street, still overly happy to be outside the house in the middle of the day. Zib eventually got to the house, wandering down the path and knocking on the door, somewhat nervous. He'd never been out without Mom or Dad before, at least, not since his creation. Poe's antennae lifted at the sound and he wandered over to the door, holding Enid with one arm while opening the door with the other,  
  
"Hey, Zib, Gir," The Reject said with an inordinant amount of enthusism, just filled with happy.. happyness.  
  
"Hi Poe!" GIR declared happily, entering the house and waving at Cten before sitting in front of the television, which was off mind - but still watched. Cten blinked, then let Zib in,  
  
"My you certainly don't mess around do you?"  
  
"Well, it's not _that_ far.." Zib wandered in, looking up at the hatchling Poe had cradled to his shoulder, blinking, "That's.. _her_?" He said the pronoun with dread, and Poe nodded, grinning like a proud father,  
  
"Not even a day old yet…"  
  
"You must excuse Poe's giddy-ness Zib, Enid just said 'Da-da'. And yes, that is her." Cten replied gently. Enid was hiccuping now and again, but had stopped crying at least. Poe was indeed in giddyland, and Zib just raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I thought hatchlings were.." He made a motion with his hands, "..smaller?"  
  
"Well, technically yes." Cten sat on the couch, scooping up the remains of the shell. "But she seems to be like Poe, height wise anyway."  
  
"Oh.." Great, not only was the hatchling a girl, but she was going to be bigger than him in not too long. Zib drummed his fingers together, "Mom said Irkens learn language and the ability to walk real soon.. when was that going to be?" Poe scowled at Zib slightly, but was in far too good a mood to be really mad,  
  
"She just hatched, let her be a hatchling for at least a little while.."  
  
"Maybe a couple of weeks, Zib." Cten replied, "First things first. She needs her ID Pack soon, then she'll grow accordingly." GIR looked up at Enid, who stared down at him before gazing around more.  
  
"Aw.." Zib frowned.. Well, a playmate was still a play mate, even if she was a threat to his 7-year-old masculinity.  
  
"Where were we going to get that, Cten?" Poe wondered as his hand rested against Enid's oddly - for an Irken - bare upper back. Cten pointed to her own ID Pack,  
  
"I've had my Pack making one for her ever since she was laid," she replied. "I think it'd be ready in a couple of days, since they're not exactly easy to reproduce." Enid giggled slightly feeling Poe's hand on her back, since that area for Irkens were especially delicate either way. Poe blinked.  
  
"Oh." He didn't even know pods were capable of that, patting Enid's back idly. Zib climbed onto the couch and hung his feet off of it,  
  
"I thought she might've been born.. you know, like me."  
  
"Well you have to remember, you were cloned from Zim and Dib, and you got both of their DNA, and since neither were new borns, you wouldn't have ben one." Cten replied, "Enid though, she was born naturally. Not a feat we Irkens usually do, mind you." Enid giggled more, holding onto Poe's shoulder.  
  
"Yeah, Mom told me about that a while ago," He scowled, "He wouldn't say much though, just said I had to wait until I was older." Poe grinned, tickling Enid's back lightly and seeming to enjoy being a Dad so far. Hiccups now gone, Enid continued to giggle then she managed to turn around slightly while against Poe's shoulder and grab onto his hand.  
  
"Heey!" Poe grinned and made a big show of trying to free his hand without actually using any sort of force.  
  
"Well, I think that's about right." Cten said, then looked up at Poe and Enid. "Poe, let Enid see Zib for a bit." Poe looked over at Cten, frowning slightly,  
  
"Aw, alright.." He sat down on the couch beside Zib and set Enid down gently, though he still held her in his lap, his protectiveness already rearing its head. Enid blinked a few times, then looked up at Zib. Her antennae perked slightly, seeing another one of the green things around she reached a hand out to him - smiling, showing she already had teeth and they were semi-sharp. Zib blinked and made one of Dib's 'eeigh' faces at the pointy teeth, warily reaching over and poking the outstretched hand,  
  
"Um, hi."  
  
"Aww." Cten cooed quietly. Enid giggled and grabbed onto his finger, still looking up at him - probably amazed by his glasses and hair. Zib yelped and looked mildly worried, as though Enid might eat him, or at least his finger. He tried to pull back weakly, but he was still aware that she was a hatchling and easily breakable and stuff. Enid tried to pull his finger back, and being bigger then the usual birth size she was somewhat stronger then normal. Once she had his finger back she just clung to it, like how babies usually cling to blankets and such.  
  
"I think she likes you already, Zib." Cten said. Zib whimpered pathetically,  
  
"But.. my finger.." He pulled again weakly, and sighed, resigning to the loss of his right index claw. Poe chuckled quietly and tapped Enid's antennae,  
  
"You can have one of my fingers, Enid, I think Zib needs his." She looked up at her Da-da, smiled and let go of Zib's finger and clung onto his, squealing happily,  
  
"Da-da!" Cten smirked, folding her arms.  
  
"I'll have to wait till I get a 'Ma-Ma' out of her, eh?" she asked, smiling either way. Poe grinned warmly, them looked up at Cten,  
  
"Aw, I'm sure she'll start saying Ma-ma soon enough.. Maybe it's just because she impressed on me first that she's saying it." Zib hugged onto his finger, rubbing it soothingly and eyeing the scraggly-toothed hatchling warily.  
  
"Maybe you're right..." Cten looked down at Zib, "Did she slobber on your finger?" GIR, while this was happening was sat on the carpet in front of the four, watching Enid closely - since this was the first real Irken he'd seen so teeny tiny before. Zib blinked and examined it, he couldn't have told by feeling afterall, since he was wearing gloves.  
  
"Oh, a little.. wait.. Irkens don't have acidic saliva, do they?" He started to look a little worried, now.  
  
"No Zib, we don't." she replied, "Don't worry."  
  
"Oh, whew," He scrubbed off the finger on his coat, sticking out the tip of his flat, square tongue.   
  
"Well Zib, I think you best be going home soon... we don't want your Mom panicing when he comes home and finds both you and GIR missing." Cten had cast a gaze at the clock, and it was near the time for Skool to end. Zib blinked,  
  
"I forgot all about that.." Unfortunately, Cten's clock was a bit late - Zim already was home, and panicking. A distant, Zim-like scream could be heard in the distance, coming from the direction of the base, "..uh oh."  
  
"...I second that." Cten got up off the couch and pulled her wig and contacts in, then grabbed GIR's leash. "Come on Zib, before your Mom goes more ballistic." with that she gave a quick 'be back soon' to Poe and lead Zib out the door, GIR following. Zib was ushered out quickly, and Poe nodded, rolling his eyes slightly, certain Zim would somehow blame him for this later on. Oh, well. He turned on the TV again, and sat with his new daugher, watching it much like before. Zim, meanwhile, was tearing apart the home level of the base, looking for Zib, Gir, or at least a sign of them. Cten was hurrying, not wanting to arrive to Zim's base and find the whole place a mess - as par usual if anything wrong happened there it always resulted in a big mess. The three skidded to a stop, then she hurried up and flung the door open, already hearing Zim's searching sounds and calling out for Zib and GIR.  
  
"Zim! Zim, he's here!" They had to dodge a piece of flying machinery, and a bedraggled Zim rose up from the mess, still wearing his wig partly, skewed and scruffed, with one antennae sticking out.  
  
"ZIB!"  
  
"Um.. Hi, mom," Zib grinned sheepishly, then yelped as Zim was suddenly *there*, scooping Zib off of his feet and hugging him to the point of near suffocation.  
  
"Master!" GIR, wanting to be noticed too, threw his arms around Zim's leg happily, tail wagging a thousand miles a minute. Cten blinked, not really used to seeing Zim so.... Mother-ly before. Zim patted Gir's head as well, then set Zib down, relief turning into anger,  
  
"Now just WHERE were you, young.. hybridy.. spawn?!"  
  
"Um.. well.." Zib glanced over to Cten and Gir.  
  
"We went for a walk!" GIR declared, happy to be noticed by his Master and snuggled his leg more.  
  
"Uh, they came over to my place Zim." Cten replied, not wanting Zib to get into trouble. "See, my egg hatched and... and yeah I have a daughter now." she knew he wouldn't be happy to hear it, but it was the truth either way.  
  
"What?! They left without any supervision, with that Reject no less?!" A look of horror crossed Zim's face, "Who knows what he could have done!" He didn't even seem to have heard Cten's last part. Zib rolled his eyes,  
  
"He was too busy being sickeningly cute with his hatchling, Mom.." Either he did hear and was just ignoring it, knowing Zim it would have been the latter. Cten sighed,  
  
"Nothing happened Zim, they weren't seen by anyone and I was with them the whole time." she explained.  
  
"But still, he has germs! Even you probably have his germs!" He made a face at Cten and backed away from her, turning around so he was between her and Zib, his previous panic having made him totally unreasonable. She just stared back at him for a while, frowned then slapped Zim right across the face; and to say the least her years of doing her maid duties which included carting around heavy loads of assorted food she was stronger in her arms and hands then lead on. So it wasn't a pansy slap to say the least. Zim yelped and stumbled, holding the point of impact; he even had small scratches on his face from her claws. He stared ahead blankly, either from being knocked out of his earlier paranoia or at the fact his 'solider' just slapped him was unknown.  
  
"...just watch what you say about my family Zim." she said calmy, before giving a small curtsey. "Underling or not, I have feelings and I want you to respect them." GIR giggled at how shocked his Master looked, not even seeming to care he had just been struck or not. Zim twitched back to life, face crinkling into growl,  
  
"Zib might not be natural but he's still my offspring, so why don't you respect _my_ wishes to keep him away from the Reject - no matter what 'feelings' you may have for him, it doesn't change the fact he's a Reject!"   
  
"Very well then, I wouldn't want to upset my 'Commanding Officer'-" she did the finger wiggle thing, "-any more then I have." she turned around and walked from the room, stopped and looked back at him. "And by the way Zim, I'm not a Soilder. I'm a Maid." with that she swung the door open and left, slamming it behind her. GIR looked up at his Master, a sad look on his face.  
  
"A maid?" He looked at the shut door in confusion, then shook his head in dismissal, "Bah, moody rebellious females! She was probably just saying that! That Reject's probably taught her to lie and disobey her superiors.." He grumbled to himself, then looked down at Gir, "What's your problem?" He snapped. Zib looked rather uncomfortable himself. GIR backed up slightly from Zim's snapping, his doggy ears drooping pathetically as he then walked from the room, holding his leash as he left.  
  
"Bah!" He bah'd at Gir's back.  
  
"Um, Mom.." Zib looked around, "Cten told me a while back.. but she told me to not tell you or Dad.."  
  
"What?! Swearing my own spawn to secrecy?!" He looked furthe disgusted, then blinked, "What'd she say?" Zib squirmed slightly, and sighed,  
  
"She told me she was a maid long ago.."  
  
"Ms. Cten wuved cooking for meeee..." GIR whined sadly from where he now stood at the door, and hugged his leash. "She'd make all nice foods 'n stuff!" Zim was starting to look worried, maybe there was a grain of truth to her final words.  
  
"But.. If she was a maid, why was she sent by the Tallest themSELVES to help me?! Cooking meals is nice and all but it does not further my mission!"  
  
"She said.. um.. they did it so you'd remain convinced that you were.." Zib frowned, saying the next words with some difficulty, "That you were on a real mission.." Zim looked down at Zib blankly, then laughed obliviously,  
  
"Of course I'm on a real mission, Zib!" GIR kept quiet now, he wasn't really sure if it was a mission or not. But sensing his Mini-Master might be lashed out at he came hurrying back besides Zib's side.  
  
"A fake mission? Hah! They're just rying to mess up on my mission because of his Reject-ness is rubbing off on her! See Zib? _That's_ the reason I don't want you being around them anymore, the Reject stuff might rub off on you and that's the last thing I want!" Zim sure was on a roll with his ranting, that's for sure.  
  
"I dunno, Mom.. why would she tell me not to tell if it didn't mean something?" Zib looked kinda worried by his mom's apparent, well, delusions. Zim paused to think this over. The Tallest would play tricks with him, would they?  
  
"Because... because... like I said! They want to turn you against me slow and sneakily by filling your innocent influentual mind with lies!"  
  
"But they're so nice to me.." He said quietly, looking down at the floor. Zim stared at Zib with his arms folded. He couldn't help but feel a very tiny twinge of feeling for Zib - since despite the fact they _were_ the only other Irkens, Reject or not, on the planet - and he had always gotten along with Cten, Maid or not. He sighed heavily and pulled on his antennae.  
  
"Nngg..." he just wan't sure what to say now, for once.  
  
"And.. besides," Zib frowned at the ground slightly, "Poe once told me some of the reasons why Irkens were Rejected.. You know, if they looked funny, had odd bodies, or whatnot.."  
  
"What are you getting at?" Zim narrowed an eye at Zib, GIR was still stood by his Mini-Master's side looking a tad protective.  
  
"Well.. wouldn't that make _me_ like a Reject?" He motioned to his hair, and yellow skin, or maybe his glasses, it was too general to tell.  
  
"W-What?!" okay, forget about all the panic and shock before, now he was switched on. He had never thought of that before, to him, Zib was his 'son' and he did care for him, though he didn't show it that much... but on Irk he would have been considered one for sure by his looks and how his body was structured inside. But he wouldn't tell Zib that, would he? "Well... Uhhmm... maybe just.... maybe you'd be... considered one back on Irk I mean." he fumbled.  
  
"But... am I one here?" Zib looked up at Zim with pathetic eyes, voice faintly tinted with fear since he knew how much his mother hated them. Zim stared back at Zib's pathetic eyes, then sighed again his antenae lowering back.  
  
"No, you're not a Reject here or to me...." He looked relieved, smiling a small smile. He then turned his head slightly,  
  
"But if I'm not, since this isn't Irk.. would Poe still be either?" He knew he was going to ask that. Zim groaned loudly,  
  
"The Reject... well........ I don't like him." he said, "He's a Reject but he's taller and, and even now he's got someone who cares about him and... and.... I just don't like _Poe_!" Zim folded his arms, glaring at the ground. Zib blinked, finding it odd hearing his Mom call Poe.. well, 'Poe', instead of Reject,  
  
"..so you mean you're jealous?"  
  
"What?! Nooo! Don't be...." he trailed off, blinking. Could he be _jealous_ of P-the Reject? No, no he couldn't be... wait... was he? "...I... don't know... bah! I don't want to think about it!" Zib shrugged,  
  
"Okay then..." He figured his Mom wasn't in the mood to talk, so he tried to be unobtrusive by going over to the TV and turning it on. Zim stood there, swinging his arms by his side, then walked past GIR and Zib, stopping at the door and turning back to see Zib.  
  
"If you _really_ want, you can still see… them." With that, he walked from the room. Zib watched his Mom go, smiling slightly, before standing up and running after him quietly, taking him by surprise by hugging the back of his legs and nearly throwing him off balance,  
  
"Don't worry, Mom, I still like you the best." To say the least, Zim was taken by surprise but this helped. A lot. He smiled and hugged him back - before GIR leapt up and clung to his head, tail wagging again.  
  
"I WUV YOU MASTER!!" and with _that_, Zim lost his balance pulling Zib to the ground with him.  
  
"Ow, Gir!" Zib rubbed his forehead, which Gir's metal foot had clonked into, sitting up from the tangle of Irken, Robot, and alien-human spawn; the only reason his head had been in reach being that he was starting to get taller than Zim's waist, the height he'd been when he was first, er, concieved. Poor Zim, he'd better enjoy short Zib while he can.  
  
[To be continued again]


	6. Chapter 6

Growing Population  
Epic Three  
Written by Cartman's Girl and Invader Poe  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter Six  
  
Meanwhile, back at the other base Enid was by now fast asleep again in Poe's arms. Cten still wasn't back yet either. Poe was smiling down at her, stroking her tiny antennae softly, before looking around at the clock.  
  
"If Zim did anything.." He grumbled to the empty room, knowing how the Invader was when it came to keeping Zib away from him. Beka then entered the room, and began to dust what looked like a lamp, but more like a penguin.  
  
"Maybe Ma'am got caught up somewhere." She replied simply, seemingly oblivious to Enid.  
  
"Still," He took on a more worried expression now, his taller instincts probably making him instinctually doubt the abilities of his shorter counter parts, whether he meant it or not. "Think she's alright?"  
  
"Ma'am is perfectly capable of defending herself, Sir Poe." the robot replied, turning to face him the headed over to him.  
  
"I know, I just have this nagging feeling." He shifted Enid's weight in his arms and went back to staring at the TV, though not really watching.  
  
"Ah." Beka claimed, before turning around to dust the table besides him. Poe's worried stare was interrupted by a sudden crack of nearby thunder outside, causing him to jump and more than likely waking up Enid,  
  
"What?!" He glanced outside; clouds were looming in the distance, in the direction of Zim's base, nonetheless. He swore something in Irken, "I don't think Cten has used paste lately.." He certainly hadn't been, since he hadn't been going to skool and wasn't really in danger from the outdoors or Dib.  
  
"U-oh." Beka made her way across the room and pulled a blind back to look outside. Already it was showering down with rain, it had just been too quiet to notice but now, with the thunder it was coming down more heavily. The thunder, combined with the sudden jerking was enough to wake Enid up. She looked very startled and after a moments pause, began to whimper as another flash of lightning, combined with thunder could be heard. Poe frowned at the window,  
  
"She might need my help.. Beka, can you take care of Enid for a while?" He held the hatchling close for the moment, trying to comfort her.  
  
"Yes Sir." Beka held her hands out, turning on her heat chip so she was aleast a regular temperature by the time Enid was handed to her. The hatchling made a little whine sound and covered her eyes as another flash of lightning lit up the sky. Poe gently hugged Enid, then placed her in Beka's arms, stroking the hatchling's forehead once before pulling up his coat and heading out the door, puttingh is wig and contacts on in the process. It waas raining hard outside, and he winced, but his coat and his wig protected him for the most part; he ignored the burning sparks on his face when the rain hit and started to run down the street, tracing the route from their base to Zim's. Futher down the street, there was Cten. Seems she had gotten caught in the rain, and what with her disguise more of her skin was open to the acid-like rain then Poe or Zim. She was now huddled under a tree, her wig sopping wet, as did the rest of her clothes. Not a piece of her wasn't sopping wet, as it seemed since steam was raising from her. Poe's eyes widened when he spotted her, and he ran over to her quickly, scooping her up despite the fact her soppiness burned him further as well,  
  
"Cten?" She hissed slightly, since she had been stood in the most possible dryest spot under the tree, even it she had been rained on still; just not as much as she was under other branches.  
  
"Ugh... Poe?"  
  
"That's me, alright," He said gently, grinning slightly and trying to lighten the situation; he was luckily somewhat dry, having not been in the rain that long, but his dripping wig wasn't helping.  
  
"Gotta love... Earth weather..." she mumbled quietly.  
  
"Oh yeah." He let her go for a moment, and pulled off his coat, wrapping it around her shoulders and at least protecting her from the rain somewhat, since it was far oversized for her. "Beka's got Enid.. wnat me to carry you?"  
  
"I'd love to walk... if my boots weren't mini swiming pools..." she replied, pulling his jacket closer around her.  
  
"I'll take that as a yes," Poe wrapped his arms around the back of her knees and shoulders and hefted her up as gently as he could, with the rain hitting his now bare arms and thin uniforms shirt and all. He bit back the pain and held her close, looking around for the direction of home, somewhat disoriented in the rain, and starting off in what he hoped was the right direction. Unfortunetly, it wasn't. Soon he came to a stop outside of Zim's base, and since being pelted with rain wasn't especially disireable for Irkens, he hurried up to the door and knocked with his boot. From inside, the door opened and GIR looked up at the two.  
  
"...you two havin' a baaaath?" Poe cursed under his breath and shook his head at Gir, sending a spray of water droplets and a few roils of steam away from his head,  
  
"No, Gir, I think Cten might need some medical attention, she got caught in the rain without paste.." He swayed slightly, looking like he might need some himself, his lacerated arms threatening to give out.  
  
"Oh!" GIR opened the door more, allowing Poe to enter since he kinda remembered how his Master got all hyped up about water and rain. Poe stumbled inside and immediately went over to the couch, almost dropping Cten onto it and leaning over, panting, not even caring if Zim was right in the room or not. Cten groaned something incoherant as she landed on the sofa, steam raising off both of them now. GIR hurried out the room, and came back holding tea towels, closest thing he could get his hands on. And the table cloth. Poe grabbed one of the tea clothes and started to try and dab the water off of Cten's face somewhat haphazardly, removing her sopping wig and tossing it across the room and openin the coat, guiding her arms out of the sleeves so he could do the same with them. She sat up, her antennae also soaked since the wig had drenched all of her head other then protect it, and took one of the towels and started to dry Poe's face as he was drying her arms. To say the least, the two looked oddly cute doing this.  
  
"I'm fine," He mumbled, trying to duck away from the towel, but not really succeeding, taking off his own wig before the water dribbled all over the place and made things worse. Then, guess who should enter the room! Yes, our favourite Irken by the name of Zim! He blinks a couple of times, then shakes his head.  
  
"What's going _on_ in here?!" Poe glanced up at Zim, still having his contacts so he looked odd,  
  
"Cten got caught in the rainstorm, and this was closer than our base," Well, in actuality it was probably the same, he just got lost, but it's not like he'd admit to _that_.  
  
"You're... _leaking_ all over my base!" he growled slightly, then left the room and came back with a mop, and started mopping at the wet patches, somehow managing to get a kercheif around his head in that short time. Cten continued to dry Poe's head, then began on his antennae as she sat up more, since having wet antennae was _very_ painful. Poe hissed in pain when she touched his antennae, ducking his head slightly - the pain there had been giving him a headache, since he had a lot of antennae to be sore, and drying off the water, even if it helped, still hurt. Realizing he wasn't going to get anywhere with her wet shirt still on, he simply, ah, took it off, not seeming to notice Zim there. At that moment Zim paused from his mopping to look over at the two.  
  
To say the least, his antennae sprang up sky-high then as his eyes widened. He still stared for a short moment at the now bare-chested (if you can call Cten's chest a chest =P) Cten as she dried Poe's antennae gently before getting back to his mopping. His own shirt was just as bad so soon enough Poe's flimsy grey uniform tanktop joined Cten's on the floor. So there they were, topless, sheening and drying each other off - the steam, hives and wounds from the rain pretty much deterred any thoughts of naughtyness, though. Zim though, kept glancing over at the two now and again as he dried up the messes, pegging the two wigs on a line which seemed to appear from nowhere, ditto with the shirts.  
  
Well, at least they were keeping on their lower clothing, for now at least. Poe kicked off his boots, though, and removed Cten's, turning around to try off her badly water-burnt feet, both boots tipping over and spilling water onto Zim's precious carpet. GIR then entered the room again with a sponge and started patting it on the ground, mumbling a tune that sounds similar to pat a cake, or something or other. Cten bit her lower lip as Poe dried off her feet, then she went onto the task of at least drying her chest since Poe's antennae were now dry again.  
  
"Miserable... Earth.. weather.." she muttered. Poe decided that maybe it was just best to let her feet dry off on their own, his arms, already sore and hurting from carrying her while being lashed by rain, finally quit on him.  
  
"..ow," he murmured, the cloth to a particularly bad wound on his shoulder. The steam was starting to dissipate, though, and they were somewhat drier. She sighed, glancing over at Zim who was still staring at the two.  
  
"...sorry about before Zim..." she said. Zim gave a small shrug, as he continued mopping. Poe glanced out the window, which was still streaked with rain.  
  
"Guess we're stuck here," he muttered, looking about as happy to be here as Zim was to have him. He moved to sit down beside Cten's head, looking down at her and stroking one of her antennae absently, as much as he could without moving his arm, "Gonna be alright?" Cten smiled up at him, nodding her head slightly.  
  
"Oh yeah… this is nothing compared to what I been through, and you know it." She replied. Zim, feeling a bit out of place leaned to the door way.  
  
"Zib! We, uh, have company…!"  
  
"Still, I don't like seeing you hurt, no matter how minor or severe." He smiled back, then quirked an antennae at Zim's calling. Zib wandered into the room - from where, who knows - and looked rather surprised, seeing the half-naked Irkens on the couch,  
  
"Ms. Cten? Poe? What're you doing here?" Then he noticed the faint curls of smoke rising from them, and the wet clothes hanging up, "Oh, storm." Cten smiled back at Poe, then looked over at Zib.  
  
"Yup, don't you just love rain? I know I do.." she joked, sitting up slowly more smoke raising up before vanishing.  
  
"They, uh, got caught in the rain storm after she left here and since this was closer then their base... P-uh, he brought them here. Yes." Zim gave a small shrug after his explenation, as GIR kept sponging the same spot he'd started five minutes ago. Poe tried to help her up, ignoring the fact he probably shouldn't be using his arms much, because he was bull-headed like that. Zib winced at the wounds, making a face,  
  
"Makes me glad I'm only half-Irken.." He mumbled under his breath, though his mom could probably still hear. Zim rolled his eyes, before walking up to Poe and Cten, avoiding stepping in water puddles on the carpet.  
  
"I trust that both of you now need medical attention for your injuries?" he folded his arms, though he didn't exactly want to help Poe that much; but he didn't really want another slap Cten. Poe looked at Cten, who was worse off.  
  
"She might.." Poe wasn't going to admit to needing help from Zim anyway, since they were both about equally stubborn, albeit in different ways. Woo, go testosterone huh?  
  
"Yes, I can tell by the burns and.. steam." Zim glanced up at the monkey image which now had fogged up, then he glanced at Zib. "Zib, go down to my lab and bring me that red boxy thingie." Cten looked at Poe, and mostly at his bad wound on his shoulder,  
  
"And _you_ might, Mr." she said simply. Zib nodded and ran off. Poe grunted,  
  
"Oh, alright.." He looked down at the wound he was holding, purplish blood trickling out between his fingers since he was squeezing it to numb it. Zib returned, carrying the red boxy thingee, and stuck his tongue out, making a face at the blood. Zim took the red box thingee from Zib and opened it up, before pulling out a medium sized band-aid. He looked at Poe's wound and made a face, but handed it to Cten along with a clean rag.  
  
"Um, here." she smirked, but decided not to make a deal about it.  
  
"Hang on Poe." she took his hand from the wound, and quickly cleaned it with the rag, before putting the band-aid on. Poe winced, biting his lip and curling the tips of his antennae, tensing up. Zib winced and looked away, the tip of his tongue hanging out. Poe relaxed when the band-aid was applied, his antennae drooping slightly, then looked over at Cten,  
  
"What about you?"  
  
"I'm... gonna need a lot." she blinked then looked at her feet, cause Zim had already started wrapping the gauze-like roll of bandage around one of her feet, he stopped and looked at her.  
  
"...what?" Poe blinked and looked down as well, his antennae twitching, metaphorical hackles raising. He stopped himself from glaring, "I'll.. do the other one," he said in a rather controlled voice, sliding to the floor and grabbing another roll of gauze from inside the box. Zib giggled to himself, then went back to watching TV with Gir. Cten looked rather confused at what to do, since she felt kinda bad just sat there while Poe and Zim were mending her wounds, so she leant over and grabbed a bandage and started doing her arms, since they weren't covered they were bad too.  
  
"We can't stay long though..." she said as she tied off one end, "I don't want to leave Enid alone with Beka for so long..." Zim's right antennae twitched slightly,  
  
"So that's.. her name?" he asked, finishing off her foot.  
  
"Yes," Poe said simply, finishing off as well, apparently having some experience wrapping with gauze quickly. He stood back up and flexed the arm with the bandaid experimentally, wincing, "I know, but we can't really go back out until the storm's over." He glanced worriedly at the window, "I'm sure Beka can handle it for a while.."  
  
"Well, if you're in that much of a hurry to return to your base, you could take the transporter in my lab." Zim replied, standing up, then testing the wet clothes which were drying quickly since Zim's base was always at a steady temperature.  
  
"You'd let us use them?" Cten raised an eyebrow as she bandaged her other arm. Zim gave a short shrug,  
  
"Gets you home, where you want to be doesn't it...? Either way I still have to clean up the mess I've made." Poe raised his eyelid as well, wandering over and checking their clothes.  
  
"Well.. I suppose it would be quicker, and we wouldn't have to go through the rain.." He still had to wonder why Zim was being so.. charitable, but wasn't going to let an opprotunity go by. Zim picked up the boots, which were now dry luckily.  
  
"Exactly." he said simply. Cten sat up on the couch and tested her foot on the ground. She bit her lip, but stood up either way since she didn't want to cause Poe any more pain today what with his shoulder. Poe was busy gathering up their shirts and wigs, then spotted Cten trying to walk,  
  
"Oh, no you don't," He said, quickly beside her, "I still have one good arm," He said, and before she could protest, leaned down and wrapped it around her lower waist, hefting her up and over his other shoulder like, well, a sack, holding their clothes with his other arm. "Where is this transporter?" Cten scowled and crossed her arms, just hanging there now and not especially happy now that Zim could probably see her underwear. Not really, because his arm was pinning her lower skirt to her thighs for just that reason. Zim blinked, then headed over to the table. It lifted up and he motioned to Poe to come stand besides him on the spot where the table was. Poe walked over to Zim, looking down at the table. It was the oddest transportation thing he'd ever seen, not that he'd ever seen any. The two stood there, then the part lowered itself down into the ground, taking Zim and Poe with them. GIR waved to the three as they left, then turned his attention back to the TV. Poe blinked as the floor suddenly start moving, holding onto Cten tightly. He followed Zim off the platform, to wherever this handy dandy device was. Cten looked up at the ceiling which was more riddled with wires then Zim's ground floor was. She didn't even know that was possible! They soon arrived at the transporters, the ones Gaz had used way back when. Zim pressed a few buttons on one of the transporters,  
  
"This should take you directly to your base, each one comes with one of the transporters."  
  
"Alright.." Poe started into the transporter, before looking around slightly and coughing. "Uh.. thanks, Zim."  
  
"Eh, don't mention it... really." Zim replied before stepping back. Cten turned her head back to see him and gave a short wave.  
  
"Thanks Zim, see you later." He coughed and waved back,  
  
"Bye Cten, bye Poe." with that, the two were consumed by the bright lights of flashing transporter thingie, and in a blink they were stood in their own transporter, hidden in one of the lower parts of their base. Poe blinked the dots out of his eyes, stepping out of their own transporter.  
  
"Didn't know we had one of those.." He mumbled, looking up at it. He'd never really bothered to explore their lab, since he didn't know what most of the stuff was anyway, "Uh.. Just where is the exit to the upper level?"  
  
"Over there." she pointed, to where a handy dandy 'Exit' sign was above an elevator.  
  
"...oh. I knew that." He coughed and started over to the exit sign, stepping into the elevator and going up to the home level. "Beka?" Beka, hearing Poe's voice entered the room, Enid still in her arms. By the look of Beka, it hadn't been an easy moment at home and Enid was sniveling, obviously she'd been crying a lot.  
  
"Thank.. Tallest you're back Sir, Ma'am...." Beka mumbled. The second Enid saw both her Daddy and Mommy things back though, her hands shot up to the two of them, making whiney sounds.  
  
"From the sounds of it, thing didn't go well huh?" Cten asked, since she was still slung over Poe's shoulder she couldn't see anything. Poe went over to the couch and sat Cten down, sitting beside her and offering to take Enid off of Beka's hands,  
  
"Sorry, Beka, we got a little.. disoriented and ended up at Zim's base."  
  
"That's.. quite all right Sir..." Beka handed Enid over to Poe, "Little lady just... cried a lot..." Enid gripped onto Poe's hands, happy once again to be with Daddy. Cten rubbed her arms, still bandaged. Poe smiled warmly down at her,  
  
"Hey, make sure you say hi to your mom, too," he teased the hatchling, poking her stomach gently and turning her to face Cten. Enid blinked, looking at Cten before smiling broadly and giggling. Cten smirked, reached out and stroaked the side of Enid's head, though it hurt since here hands were still burning somewhat and she pulled back.  
  
"Well this is peachy.." she muttered, looking over her hands, as did Enid who looked a little concerned for her Mommy. Poe frowned slightly, putting his good arm around her shoulders gently,  
  
"You'll probably be able to take off the bandages in a few hours.. I think so, at least." Water-inflicted wounds seemed to take longer to heal than most Irken injuries, being an alien substance and all.  
  
"I hope so..." she muttered, before clenching her fists, then realising how painful that was she un-clenched them.  
  
"Mmaa..." Enid said quietly while looking up at Cten, her antennae drooping somewhat. Poe looked down at Enid, the hand that was wrapped around the hatchling's side reaching up and stroking the drooping antennae,  
  
"I'm sure Mom will be okay, En," He said gently, not even seeming aware of the nickname he used, though the tinge of worry in his voice indicated he was saying it to himself as well.   
  
"Oh I'll be all right..." Cten replied, leaning against the sofa, "I'll be better in a little while, Enid." she said this down to her daughter, who was still looking up at her. She then looked up at Poe, "I think she needs clothes now, Poe." Cten pointed out, since Enid was still in her, uh, hatching suit.  
  
"Oh, right. Do we even, uh, have any hatchling-sized clothes, or will a towel or diaper suffice?" He looked around, his antennae backing, feeling a bit ignorant and neglectful for not knowing these things.  
  
"Anything to keep her warm really..." Cten replied, realising how Enid was probably snuggling against Poe for body heat and not just a sign of affection. Poe nodded and lifted Enid up gently, setting her against her mother's stomach,  
  
"I'll be right back." He went upstairs, and soon came back with a fluffy towel, the first thing he could find, setting it over Enid's tiny shoulders, "It'll work for now, I think.." Enid squeaked as the towel was drapped over her, but then pulled it closer to her and curled up against it, resting against Cten's stomach. Cten smiled and gently, as to not hurt her hand, stroked Enid's antennae that were poking out from under the towel.  
  
"Aw." she said quietly, then looked up at Poe. "I think it'd work too. Till we get clothes for her." Poe nodded, smiling widely as he sat down beside Cten again, leaning against her gently and stroking Enid's other protruding antennae.  
  
"Where would we get them?" He asked tentatively.   
  
"Oh... I'll see about stores in town when my hands are fine again." Cten replied, then looked at Beka. "Beka, can't we like, order clothing from Callnowia?" Beka paused, then nodded.  
  
"Quite possibly, yes Ma'am." Poe nodded, then blinked slightly.  
  
"..wouldn't that cost money, to order from there? I mean, like, Irken money, not human money which we can just replicate.."  
  
"I've got enough for a few things... being a Maid I got tips now and then." she muttered, then thought to herslf. "Now where did I put them..." Beka then hopped onto the couch and opened up Cten's pack and searched around in it.  
  
"I know where Ma'am!" after a short moment, she pulled a Irken bank. Ohter words, a crematic Irken shaped money box. "Found it!"  
  
"Oh, good..." Cten said, her pack shutting up again.  
  
"Hm.." Poe pondered, tapping his chin. "Hopefully they won't wonder what a non-Irken planet is doing ordering Irken hatchling clothing.." He was a little paranoid, afterall, years of avoiding the patrollers and whatnot.  
  
"..I thought there was only robots working there." Cten said, looking up at him, then at the ceiling.  
  
"Robots?" He blinked. "Oh. Well, still, I imagine they have to go through some sort of live person.. I mean, otherwise, what's stopping Zim from just buying a fleet of mechs or something?"  
  
"Oh, good point." she said, then frowned. "Let's just hope they're not as suspcious as you think they are." Enid yawned, pulling the towel closer around her and bringing her knees up to her chest.  
  
"Aw.. I think we're boring her." Poe looked down, grinning slightly, "Well, if nothing else, we could always make some or modify human baby clothes.."  
  
"Thing is, she won't stay small for long, remember?" ah yes, Enid was bigger then any normal sized hatchling, so obviously her growth would be quicker, for an Irken even.  
  
"True.. I guess we'll just have to get her big outfits then.. or a lot of them." He scratched the back of his head; it was nice not having to worry about money as far as human things were concerned. "What about.. uh.. you know, diaper things?"  
  
"Oo, good point.." Cten lifted up a corner of the towel gently, as to not hurt her fingers. "We'll need something to use, once she starts eating which will probably start by tomorrow..." she looked at him. "Think we should go natural or the plastic stuff?"  
  
"I dunno.. plastic stuff?" He looked slightly confused and embaressed by said confusion. "And, uh.. what's she going to eat anyway?"  
  
"Well she's got teeth, so she'll eat what we eat I guess." she replied, wondering where on Earth they'd get time to buy the plastiac diapers while it was still raining.  
  
"True.. I thought hatchlings needed special food, but maybe I've just been on Earth too long." He made a slight face, "Can't say I'm looking forward to the diaper bit.."  
  
"Well don't think I'm going to do it all the time." Cten said, smirking somewhat. "But right now, she needs to get to bed."  
  
"I'll help.." He added, "I suppose I've seen worse, anyway. And yeah, she's probably tired from all that crying.. poor Beka." Poe looked down at Enid, "Where are we going to put her?"  
  
"She can sleep in our bed for tonight, tomorrow I'll find something for her." Cten then managed to scoop Enid up with one hand, but hold her in her arm so her hands weren't in pain that much. Poe nodded, standing up and offering to help Cten up,  
  
"I guess that'll work. Maybe we could convert my old room to a nursery.." Cten took her free hand into his and got up, her feet not as bad as they once were.  
  
"That sounds good," she said. Enid made a whiney sound, but remained still either way. Poe helped lead her up the stairs, to their room, and sat down on the bed. He gently picked up Enid and sat her down on her lap, holding her beneath the arms,  
  
"I guess you get to stay with us tonight, En, but we'll have to find another place for you. I don't want to accidently squish you, afterall," He smiled down at her, poking the place her nose would be. Cten climbed into the bed, pulling the blankets up to her lap as she sat on the matress. Enid giggled and poked Poe's finger in return, then yawned again, her dark blue eyes already showing how sleepy she is. Poe hugged her loosely, his arm still sore and all, before sliding under the covers beside Cten and placing the hatchling between them.  
  
"'Night, En," he said, stroking her antennae before tucking her in. Who knew such a gothy looking Irken could be so, well, affectionate? Enid made a purr-like sound before drifting off to sleep, Cten following soon after as she rolled onto her side.  
  
"Night Poe."  
  
"Night." He leaned over, kissing Cten's cheek before yawning, stretching and settling in himself, reaching over and flipping off the light.  
  
[To be continued, again!]


	7. Chapter 7

Growing Population  
Epic Three  
Written by Cartman's Girl and Invader Poe  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
Another day begins in Poe and Cten's lives, both of them seen fast asleep in their bed. Sunlight is beginning to creep into the room through the window, but then the door is opened and Enid, now possibly Zib's height (maybe taller, can't really tell) comes tearing into the room.  
  
"Mooorrrnnniiinnnggg!!" she cries and leaps up onto the bed. Poe's antennae curl up tightly from the sudden burst of sound, and he grumbles and buries his face into his pillow, but then Enid lands, Poe being jolted when the flying weight hits the bed.  
  
"Ack, Enid!" Cten yelps and turns over too quickly, falling out of the bed with a WHAM as she lands on the ground. He digs his claws into the bed, the only thing that keeps him from joining Cten on the ground. Enid glances over the side of the bed at Cten,  
  
"Sorry Mommy!" Poe waited until the bed stopped shaking before sitting up, rubbing his head and looking at Enid,  
  
"Can't you just tug on our shoulders, or something?" he asked, without much hope.  
  
"Aw but that's no fun." she replied, grinning to her Dad showing off her pointed teeth.  
  
"Ugh..." Cten slowly sat up and crawled back onto the bed. "Enid... you know what Sundays mean... no early mornings..." she groaned.  
  
"But I'm bored!" Enid replied, tugging on her long antennae.  
  
"...already?" Cten just stared at her daughter blankly.  
  
"We have technology that far surpasses most anything on Earth, and you're bored?" Poe blinked his eyes blearily, "There must be something you can do.. No games, TV, anything?" He shook his head, "What about Zib?" She wasn't _as_ bored when she had someone to be bored with, usually.   
  
"I dunno if he's up or not..." Enid replied, twiddling her fingers somewhat. Cten glanced at the clock, it read nine o'clock.  
  
"...well, call him and plan something to do then." she said, pulling the blankets back up to her, making Enid fall to her side on the bed. Poe nodded and slumped back into bed as well. Zib was up, actually, and the situation at Zim's base was eerily similar,  
  
"Mom, can I go to Enid's?!" Zib asked, well, demanded at Zim really, who was still in bed as well, while Zib stood on the end of said bed. Zim muttered as he pulled his pillow up over his head, his SIR toy SIRRY visibly seen laying besides him.  
  
"Ugghh... go, go..." he waved his ungloved hand at Zib, or where he thought Zib was. Then rolled over and pulled SIRRY closer and mumbled something about doom before snoring loudly again. Zib broke out into a grin and ran out of Zim's room, through the main house, his coat trailing behind him - which no longer dragged on the floor, him having grown into it somewhat - past Gir.  
  
"HIBYEGIR!" And with that, he was out the door, putting in his contacts along the way. Soon enough, there was a ring at the door at the.. er.. Poe and Cten residence. Enid, who by now was bored again and sitting upside down on the sofa, leapt off it and opened the door. Her antennae perking happily and she grinned since it was her 'bestest friend' at the door.  
  
"Zib!" she cried happily.  
  
"Hey!" He grinned and stepped inside, "Mom let me come over. Whatcha wanna do?" He didn't seem to mind the fact she was a girl anymore, or that she was starting to get taller than him by a hair or so, or in this case, antennae.  
  
"Oh I dunno... Mom 'n Daddy are still asleep upstairs." she thumbed behind her to the stairs, "'N Beka's cleaning the house as _usual_... wanna go out?" her antennae perked up since they always seemed to get into something or another while outside.  
  
"Sure!" He grinned, slightly deviously, with everyone asleep or busy, who was gonna stop them? He thought a while, "Wanna go to the park?"  
  
"Yeah!" she chimed, pulling her blueish-gray contacts over her eyes and yanking her black wig over her antennae. Her wig had long hair, and the bangs/fringe resembled Poe's somewhat, but was curly slightly with a streak of blue piercing out of the black. Zib kept grinning, he sure was happy, wasn't he?  
  
"Let's go!" He grabbed her wrist and started off towards the park, the two older hatchlings so bursting with energy they could probably have run all the way there and still not be tired. The two eventually arrive, and run up to what is probably the biggest tree in the park. They skid to a halt, Enid looking up at it, then smirking at Zib.  
  
"So I guess you wanna see if you can climb that thing without the use of your Pack or what?" she grinned, glancing up at it again. Zib smirked back,  
  
"You're on!" Hey, he was the one with the ancestral monkey DNA in his system, he had confidence. He jumped up onto the tree and started skittering up it, digging his claws into the bark and transversing the limbs quickly. Unfortunately, though, he probably didn't have Enid's strength. She remained on the ground for now, then thought why should she stay out of it? She dug her claws into the bark, and started climbing up after him. Sure she didn't hae ancestral monkey DNA like Zib did, but her DNA had that of quite a strong Irken as her Father, that helped a lot. Zib grunted and started to tire, being as bullheaded as both his parents and not bothered to pace himself. He pulled himself up to the next branch, almost halfway up the tree, and leaned against the trunk, stopping to catch his breath. Soon enough, Enid was hanging off the tree near him. She grinned at him,  
  
"Aw, what's the matter Zib? Need your Mommy to come 'n save you?" she taunted. Seemed she was more tom-boyish at this age, possibly a reason why Zib enjoyed spending time with her. She was the more 'outdoors' kinda girl, not the 'play house' kind. Zib scowled at her,  
  
"I need no Mommy assistance!" He adjusted his glasses and leaned back, jumping up and grabbing onto the next branch, the only one within reach at this point on the tree, scrambling atop it, sticking his tongue out down at Enid. She poked her segmented tongue back at him, hauling herself up, and past him to the next branch above him.  
  
"So much for heriditary ancestral monkies!" she called back.  
  
"Hey!" Disgruntled, he reached up and grabbed onto her hanging boot, "No fair!" Enid yiped as he grabbed her foot, but managed to keep her balance, pulling him up.  
  
"Cheater!" she called back, swinging him onto the branch she was on.  
  
"I'm not a cheater, I'm an opprotunist!" He blinked as he was pulled up, not quite expecting that, still holding onto her boot, yanking it off in the process as he ascended to the new branch. He looked down at the boot, then held it up victoriously, "HAH! Can't go on without this!"  
  
"Give that back! Daddy got me those!" she looked at her bare clawed foot, then scowled at him. Zib grinned,  
  
"Come and get it!" He stuffed the boot in his pocket and scrambled up onto the next branch up, wasting no time this time and continuing his ascent.  
  
"Zi-ib!" Enid stood up, her clawed foot gripping onto the bark, and she started up after him. "Give that back! I'm not kidding now!" tom-boyish as she was, what her Daddy gave her was things she really did care about, and plus, her boots fitted her like a glove, er, boot. Yeah.  
  
"Nyahah! Victory for Zib!" He sat down on the 'final' branch, or about as high as they could go safely, taking the boot out and holding it aloft like a trophey. Eventually she arrived besides him, glaring at him as she sat on the branch besides him.  
  
"Oh fine, victory for now..." she then whipped out and tore his glasses away from his face, placing them on her head and leant against the tree, since she was closest to it. "Hah!"  
  
"HEY! I need those!" He whined, suddenly blinded, waving his hands around to get his bearings. He turned and glared at a nearby branch, "Gimme those back!"  
  
"Not until I have my boot back." she replied calmly, folding her arms.  
  
"Fine, take your stinky boot!" He offered the boot out to the nearby tree limb. Enid leaned over him, grabbing the boot. As she did, she replaced his glasses back on his head, before pulling her boot on.  
  
"Huh." she said. He held onto the handles of his glasses and pulled them into place, pulling them off and scrubbing them with his coat,  
  
"You got claw scratches on them now!'  
  
"Well you got your boy germs on my boot now!" she replied, almost smobbishly and wiped at her boot with her jacket's sleeve. Then, she happened to look down, and down, and down. She blinked, the tree hadn't seemed this tall before. "Oh.. wow..." Zib put on his glasses again, looking down as well.  
  
"..eep." He looked around nervously, scooting closer to Enid for whatever reason, "..what do we do now?"  
  
"Well we gotta go down now, that's the fun of coming up here!" obviously her awe wasn't due to her fear of the height, as it was for Zib. She raised an eyebrow as he had scooted closer, "Aw, you afraid Zib?" she joked, leaning her head to the side. "Want me to call your Mommy?" Zib looked around,  
  
"What? Me? Afraid? Of course not! And I don't need my Mom!" He huffed and scowled at her, "It's just, a long way down, that's all.." He looked down and gulped.  
  
"Aw climb on." she managed to stand up and turn her back to him, "If you'll allow yourself to be helped by a girl." she grinned.  
  
"But I... Oh, fine." He grumbled and climbed up onto her back, holding onto her shoulders, "Are you sure you can hold me?"  
  
"Zib, you're a light little thing!" Enid grinned, then climbed back onto the tree and started to slowly climb down, "For some reason I'm feeling like a Koala..." she muttered.  
  
"What? But-" Well, he had to admit his parents weren't exactly very substantial examples of either race. He hung on for dear life, clinging to her and squeezing his eyes shut, fear overcoming his sense of dignity for the moment. Enid got quicker as they went down, and by the time they were half way down, the two were being watched by some humans who were at the park, mostly little kids. Soon enough, she jumped from the tree, since a good foot was left till they landed, and she landed on the ground with a soft thud.  
  
"..are we on solid ground?" he asked in a small voice, not daring to open his eyes yet.  
  
"Yeah Zib, we are." she replied, smiling broadly while she held onto his hands which were still clenched to her shoulders. Zib opened one eye, then the other, slowly sinking off of her back his boots landing silently. He exhaled loudly in relief, sagging, before noticing all the humans staring, scowling at them.  
  
"What? Go away, shoo!" Enid laughed slightly, and took a bow.  
  
"Thank you, thank you! No encores, please." some kids gave them weird looks and walked off, one little girl clapped happily until her Mother lead her off.  
  
"Stupid human.. thingees," Zib muttered to himself, dusting off his coat and picking some bark of his rump. He glanced towards the playground, "Look at them, hogging all the equipment!"  
  
"Oh they're humans Zib, what do you expect?" she asked, pretty much fogetting what Zib was half human. "A far inferior species compared to that of us," she placed a hand to her chest, then flicked her black wig. "Obviously."  
  
"Yeah, inferior.." He muttered quietly and scowled, blowing at his quite natural bangs, stuffing his hands in his pockets.  
  
"So now what, wanna play chicken on the highway?" she smirked, beginning to walk along the path.  
  
"What?! No! We'd get smeared across the road like roadkill!" He made 'roadkill' fingers, running to catch up with her.  
  
"Hehe, I know Zib. I just wanna see the scared face you had up there." she giggled, somewhat evilly. "Wish I had a camera!"  
  
"What?! I am not scared!" He glared at her in a way that was almost cute, his lower teeth jutting out, "I'm merely precautious!"  
  
"Course you were _cutie_." she then pinched his cheek as she said cutie, loving to tease her friend at any opportunity.  
  
"Hey, leggo!" He squirmed and tried to free himself from her claws, his glasses becoming skewed in the process! "I'm not cute either!" He sulked, only looking, well, cuter.  
  
"Aw but you are!" she cooed, letting go of his cheeks and clasping her hands together. Obviously she was still joking, and continued walking and declared loudly, "My friend Zib is CUTE!"  
  
"Enid!" He whined, scrunching his shoulders and trying to disappear into his coat as she got the attention of the whole playground, causing a good number of snickers, "Don't say things like that! People will think.. things!"  
  
"Don't be silly Zib." she slung an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close. "I want them to know you're my bestest friend in the entire galaxy 'n beyond!" Enid giggled happily, enjoying this far more then she ought to. Zib allowed himself to be squished, looking rather sheepishly at all of the kids,  
  
"You're mine too, but seriously-"  
  
"So what were you two going to do up in that tree?" Some random kid snickered, and a few went  
  
"OoooOOOooo."  
  
"Wouldn't _you_ like to know!" she jeered back, hefting Zib up off the ground since she was taller and stronger them him. Zib's face flushed slightly, both from being picked up and the attention they were getting, being older than Enid and a bit more _sensitive_ to these kind of things.  
  
"I bet it started with a K!" Some other kid postulated. Enid let Zib go and put her hands to her hips, tilting her head to the side.  
  
"K-I-S-S-I-N-G?" she asked back, showing she wasn't at all bothered by the fact the kids around them were probably making fun of them. She laughed and spun around once, her jacket flowing momentarily. "What," she looked at the boy who had called out, "You want a kiss too?" she grinned at him, showing off her teeth. Zib stumbled away, then tugged on her claws somewhat nervously,  
  
"En, were're not suppose to draw attention to ourselves.." he said, eyeing the surrounding children with paranoia, while a few of the kids eeped and backed away from her teeth, a few others "Oooo"'d again and leaned forward.  
  
"Where'd you get teeth like that?"  
  
"Why are you two green, anyway?"  
  
"I dunno, why are you pink?" she asked, sounding somewhat dumbly back at the kid. Yes, she was younger and she hadn't spent a lot of time 'outside', heck she wasn't even in Skool yet. So most of her time was with her Father, and the two rarely left the house for any reason. Then she grinned, showing her teeth more. "I got special dentures cause my teeth're bad." she replied. Probably something her Mom had told her to say, if in case the question ever came up.  
  
"Went bad from too much kissing, huh?" Another Random Kid(boy, the park was full of them!) jeered, and Zib groaned,  
  
"We're just friends, alright?!"  
  
"Sure, that's what they always say."  
  
"I got the _kissing_ disease!" she replied, and stepped forward to the 'random kid', "You wanna catch it from me?" the boy suddenly looked rather disgusted, being this age the last thing he wanted was to kiss, or be kissed...  
  
"...no!" he said after a moments pause.  
  
"Aw come on you know you wanna!" she jeered, opening her arms to him. "Gimmie a KISS!" the boy screamed and ran off, most other boys following suite - not wanting kisses from a green skinned girl with weird teeth. Enid smirked, hanging her arms by her sides.  
  
"Aw, spoil sports..." she turned back to Zib, as the rest of the kids started to mill away, some girls laughing about how pansy the boys were. "So now what?"  
  
"Something that doesn't involve defying death or a large group of children," Zib muttered, "Or kissing." He looked around, "Hey, some of the equipment's free now.." Mostly only the swingset and one of those metal climbey dealies.  
  
"Yay!" Enid ran past him and leapt onto a swing, enjoying herself a lot today isn't she? "C'mon Zib, we'll see who can swing all the way around first." she called out.  
  
"Alright!" His Zimmyside never one to turn down a challenge, dispite how his Dib side might argue the logicistics. He ran over to the free swing beside Enid and pushed off with his boots, his swing swaying back and forth. And so the two started swingnig, going higher and higher with each push off; course, neither could ever really swing all the way around what with gravity and movements and such. But still, they're enjoying themselves. As they swing, they talked of course.  
  
"So is your Mom gonna enroll you in Skool or what?" Enid asked, kicking her blue heels up. Zib scowled ahead and nodded,  
  
"He said I'm already too old to not be in skool, but he thought I might not have to start at the very beginning grade. What about you?" He looked over at her as his coat trailed behind the swinging, well, swing.  
  
"Mom thinks I should go, and that Daddy should re-enroll. But Daddy says he had enough of the jeers and taunts from the kids 'n they reminded him of his life back on Irk," she leaned back flatly, so she could look up at the sky as she swung. "So I might be starting some grade or another, cause of my height."  
  
"..so he gets to laze around the house all day? That's not fair," Zib snorted somehow, then looked up, "Maybe we can be in the same grade?"  
  
"I hope so," Enid replied, looking over at him after her sky gazing had stopped. "Skool'd be boring if we couldn't be in the same grade."  
  
"Yeah, I'd hate to be stuck with all those humans.." He scrunched his face slightly, "It'd be kind of weird if we were in the same grade as our parents, though."  
  
"I think we'd be.. maybe a few grades behind." Enid replied, then stood up on her swing, still swinging as she did. "Least then Mom could help me with 'homework'. She gets a lot. Daddy says it's her own fault for taking more classes."  
  
"I wonder if my Mom would help me," Zib said, with a touch of almost sadness in his voice, "Dad's real good with science, but he's never around.. bah!" He shook his head suddenly, "Hopefully I won't need any!"  
  
"Yeah, you'll be too smart they might put you in a higher grade!" Enid grinned, she enjoyed having Zib's two personalities clash now and again, making him brassier and more confident in himself. "Then you might help me!"  
  
"Always glad to be of assistance," He grinned charmingly, well, as charming as one can be with yellowish zipper-teeth, hair flying back and forth as he swung, "Mom says I have a knack for science, but I don't know about these inferior human studies.."  
  
"You'll have to put up with it Zib," she replied, "Not like they have an Irken Science Class."  
  
"No, but still. I bet they won't even cover anything interesting like paranormal studies!" He scoffed.  
  
"I heard some times they have classes like that, in some Skools." Enid said, glancing over at the big city looming up near the park. "Only special Skools tho... not the one our Moms go to."  
  
"Well, we should probably stay with our parents.. I mean, in case something happens." He glanced over at the city as well, "..not that I'm WORRIED or anything."  
  
"Mom says that Dib's getting some followers in his beliefs of aliens..." she said quietly, out of the blue. "I don't wanna be taken away from Mom or Daddy, or you." Zib frowned,  
  
"I don't want you to either." He looked down at the ground, even if it was a blur right now, "Dad wouldn't turn us in.. at least.. I think so." Must not be much fun to have a Dad who's willing to give you over to the goverment. @_@  
  
"If he did, Daddy said your Dad would be in big trouble." Enid said, "'N knowing my Daddy he isn't lying either!" she sat back down on the swing, from her standing position and began swinging more slowly, possibly dizzy.  
  
"Well.. hey.. he is still my Dad." He stopped as well, scowling at the ground, "But I couldn't let him do anything to Mom or you," he grunted, being more attached to Zim, since Zim was the only one who'd ever really taken care of him much. Enid looked over at him, stopping her swinging in a short skid.  
  
"Thanks." she grinned at him, then blinked as her stomach, or something that was similar to it, grumbled. "Hmm..." Zib glanced over at her.  
  
"Hungry?" Well, that's what it meant when his stomach grumbled, he had no idea what it meant in Irkens.  
  
"Famished!" she replied, grinning from, er, antennae to antennae.  
  
"Well, let's get something to eat then," He stuck his heel in the dirt and stopped his swing, standing up, "What do you feel like?" He asked vaugely, "I'm up for anything but Mexican.." he stuck out his tongue.  
  
"I'm hungry for.. anything!" she replied, "...but it's annoying when meat sticks to my body." she said sadly as she stood up. What Zib usually ate was mostly Human food, and she'd always wanted to try it, but last time she did she was sick for a week.  
  
"Owch.. I forgot about that," He winced, thinking. "Well, your Dad doesn't seem to mind human food, maybe you'll build up an immunity too?" He started walking, looking back at her, towards the street with all the resteraunts such as Chicky Licky and that hamburger place and such. She followed after him, eyeing the resturants.  
  
"I dunno Zib.. maybe I should just go home 'n get something like a nutrient bar or something." she muttered.  
  
"Well, if you really want to.." He started, hating Irken food but not really wanting to make her sick, either.  
  
"I know, we could go to your place. Your Mom has that stuff, 'n you could make something you'd like too!" Enid's head perked up as the idea struck her.  
  
"Hm.. alright!" He knew his Mom didn't like Enid much, but he didn't even know if Zim was awake or not yet. He reached out and grabbed her hand, "C'mon, we'll be there and back 'fore he notices us there."   
  
"Okay then!" the two ran off quickly, towards Zim's base. These two were just chokka full of energy, weren't they? They eventually arrived at Zim's base, creaking the door open and sneaking past the sleeping GIR into the kitchen. Zib whewed when they got into the kitchen, opening up the fridge.  
  
"I think the nutrient bars are in here somewhere… aha!" He pulled out a fistfull of bars, and handed them to her, before finding some sandwhich ingredients for himself. After some time, the two sat amongst the messy pile of food. Jams, spreads, bread, candy, wrappers and other assorted goodies were all over the once clean floor.  
  
"Mmm.. yummy!" Zib said licking his lips as he finished his peanut butter and jelly sandwich off, then licked his sticky fingers. Enid finished her umpthenth Nutrient bar and threw the wrapper onto the floor. She then looked thoughtful for a moment, before looking at Zib.  
  
"Hey Zib?" she asked,  
  
"Yeah?" he replied, dipping a spoon into the peanut butter jar and trying to scoop out the remaining spread.  
  
"We'll be friends forever, right? I'm just wonderin', you know." Enid shrugged, glancing away to the side as she said this. Zib looked up at her, spoon in his mouth.  
  
"Ah Enid, we'll be friends forever! I'm sticky, and once you touch me you're stuck." he grinned at her. Enid grinned back, nodding.  
  
"Cool then."  
  
[The End!]


End file.
